Golden
by TheNarator
Summary: In the world's time of greatest need, the Konoha 12 and Sand Siblings formed the Golden Army. Now the time has come to form it again. Rating for scattered lemons for various couples. Lemons: Naruhina, Shikatema, Nejiten
1. The Fox and the Rabbit

**Author's Note/Summary/Disclaimer:** First off, I do not own Naruto or any of the characters. Usagi (and her little brother, but he's not that important) is my only OC and no one better make a joke out of her name. I mean it. I will delete the review. Second, I know I included some people who died, ok. I haven't seen anything after the time skip, and I really don't care who dies. They don't in my version. If you don't like the inaccuracy, don't read it. Thirdly, I deeply apologize to any sasusaku fans (I hate this couple), and to any Neji fans (but only for the beginning). Fourthly, on reviews; if you don't like the concept don't read. If you don't like the pairings don't tell me. If you have a problem with _me_ message _me,_ I don't want any hate reviews. And finally . . . PLEASE REVIEW!

P.S. Anyone that can catch the Firefly reference good for you, I would love to hear what you think of it.

**Chapter 1: The Fox and the Rabbit**

_ From the ruins of the Sand and the Leaf rose the Golden Army. When the invaders from across the ocean threatened to eradicate the five shinobi nations, fifteen great ninja, lead by the most powerful shinobi in existence, from the Sand and the Leaf, banded together under a new symbol. They wore a headband that was neither Sand nor Leaf, but a seven-pointed star, a Golden Star of Hope. Together, under the guidance of the Golden General, they defeated the invaders and united the divided nations, both civilian and shinobi, into the great country of Japan. This ushered in a golden age of peace and prosperity, as the shinobi of each region of Japan were turned by the Golden General's example to the true purpose of the shinobi, to protect the innocent from the demons that plagued Japan. Some said that the Golden General himself should have become Japan's emperor, but after he had placed a ruler on the throne, he and the Golden Army vanished, as mysteriously as they had come. No one knows what became of them, but their memory, and the memory of what they did for the people of Japan, lives on at the Golden Academy, the great ninja academy within the region of fire, not in any village but open to shinobi of all villages and regions to study in the hopes of becoming members of the next Golden Army, the army that will defend Japan should it ever be attacked from beyond its borders again._

It was Usagi's favorite story. Every night when she was four years old her mother, a beautiful women with dark hair and eyes like the moon, pale and unbroken, would tuck her into bed and whisper quietly the story of the Golden Army, the heroes of every shinobi. "Will I go to the Golden Academy someday mother?" Usagi asked every night, just before she closed her eyes.

Her mother would just smile. "We'll see little one," she bent to press a kiss to her daughter's forehead, "we'll see."

-Two years later-

"Usagi!"

The cry came from what seemed miles behind her. Six year old Usagi Uzumaki's feet pounded the dirt under her as she raced ahead, leaving her pursuers in the dust. Usagi had been taught to run by Rock Lee, the fastest shinobi in Konoha. No one was catching up to her.

"Little rabbit, come back here!"

Except him.

Usagi leaned forward and streamlined her small body, shooting forward like a bullet. _Just a little further_, she thought to herself, her eyes fixed on the long wooden staff leaning against the fence ahead of her. She smiled to herself. In just a few more seconds she would be beyond even him, Neji Hyuuga and his horrible abuse of her nickname. _Only father's allowed to call me little rabbit._

"Little rabbit, stop!" Neji called again, but Usagi wasn't listening. All her attention was focused on reaching the staff. He quickened his pace, knowing he'd have to reach her before she got to it. "Little rabbit!"

He was just feet behind her, his arm outstretched to catch the back of her shirt when, "Gotcha!" Usagi's hand closed over the smooth wood and before another second had passed she fed her chakra into it, willing it to release its wings. Four fan-like stretches of cloth, two at the head of the staff and two at the foot sprung out and immediately caught the wind, whisking her up into the endless sky, out of reach of her uncle's grasping fingers.

Usagi whispered a silent thank you to her Uncle Shikamaru as she grasped the glider just bellow the front wings, her ankles tucking instinctively behind the wooden frame just above the back wings. The wind carried her still higher and she laughed as its familiar warmth tickled her face. She angled the glider's head to swoop down over the village. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of tremendous freedom and calm suddenly restored to her. _I am a leaf on the wind. Watch me soar._

The sound of ripping fabric tore her out of her trance. She looked up at the left front wing of the glider, to see a shaft of sunlight through the torn material. This was bad. The glider was meticulously balanced and very sturdy, however it was small, and it did not take much to upset the delicate balance and send her careening out of control.

The glider flipped dangerously upside down. A less experienced flier might have been thrown off, but years of doing circles and flips in the air had taught Usagi how to hold on to her only anchor to the sky. She shut her eyes tightly. It was useless to try and make sense of the spinning world bellow her, and trying would only make her more disoriented when she came back to earth. She spun and swerved crazily, her arms working on feeling as they tried desperately to control the glider. She fell towards the village at a dizzying speed until . . .

Usagi grunted as momentum crashed her into Neji's very solid chest. The impact knocked the breath out of her and when he touched down to the ground, absurdly lightly, Usagi noticed in disgust, she sucked in a great breath as she began to fight the hold of his strong arms.

"Little rabbit don't . . ." Neji started, but Usagi cut him off.

"Don't you call me that!" she shrieked, squirming madly against his hold. "Get off me get off me **GETOFFME**!" she screamed. If she was lucky she had been just loud enough to make him . . .

"Don't raise such a fuss!" Neji told her angrily, bringing one hand to her mouth. Big mistake. As soon as his hand was in range sharp canines sank into the tender flesh. "Ow!" he yelled, and dropped her.

Usagi hit the ground running, but as soon as she was satisfied she was far enough away from him she turned and adopted a fighting stance. Again she channeled chakra into the staff. It obeyed her hurried command instantly, the damaged wings retracting into the wood and the sharp point of a kunai emerged from the end, pointing at Neji's throat. "Careful Uncle Neji, this rabbit bites."

Neji contemplated the little blond girl in front of him a moment. Her yellow hair was cut short, just above her shoulders, the ends spiky and jagged, like her father and grandfather's. Her eyes were the same blue and burned with the same fire, and her tiny face was marked with the same whisker-like lines. There was no denying that this was Naruto Uzumaki's daughter. She looked for all the world like a tiny female copy of him. Emphasis on tiny. Usagi had also inherited her father's youthful shortness of stature; she stood only two and a half feet tall to his five and quarter feet, and yet somehow she still managed to look down her nose at him.

Neji raised his hands and showed her his palms as a sign of peace, smiling in what she supposed he thought was a kind way. With his Byakugan, though, it just looked creepy. Usagi glared at him. Her mother always managed to smile warmly without letting the Byakugan make it look eerie and unnatural, why couldn't he?

"Little rabbit . . ." Neji began gently.

"Don't!" Usagi snapped, "Call! Me! Little! Rabbit!"

Neji bowed his head slightly, his eyes closed in an attempt to hide the Byakugan he knew made her so uncomfortable. "Forgive me, Usagi-sama."

"Not that either!" Usagi raged. "Its just Usagi, to you! Not Usagi-sama, not Usagi-chan, and certainly not little rabbit! Just Usagi!"

Neji, to her continued fury, simply smiled fondly at her. "Usagi, then," he replied softly, reaching out a hand to her "you need to give back the scroll you took. Give it to me, little one, I'll . . ."

"You can't tell me what to do!" she cut him off, "You're not my father!"

"But _I _am, little rabbit," came a voice from behind her.

Usagi quite forgot Neji as she whirled around, a bright smile lighting up her small face as Naruto Uzumaki stepped out of the shadows of the nearest building. He was dressed, as usual, in a white shirt and orange pants, with his trademark black and orange coat billowing around his shoulders. He walked up to stand next to his daughter, eyes flicking lazily from Neji to Usagi.

Usagi, meanwhile, stared up at her father with nothing short of idolization. Her eyes sparkled, her face shone, and she unconsciously leaned on her staff as her every instinct told her that as long as he was around there was nothing she had to be afraid of. No danger.

"I see you've been getting into trouble, little rabbit," Naruto's eyes danced playfully as they gazed down upon his little girl.

Usagi smiled up at him innocently, then darted a glance back at Neji and scowled. "Uncle Neji broke my glider," she told him.

"You stole a scroll," Naruto replied, tilting his head to the side as he looked down at her.

Usagi grinned up at him. "I was going to give it back," she told him, tilting her head in just the same way.

Naruto shut his eyes and sighed heavily, "However you did manage to cause quite a commotion little rabbit. Come on, we're going home."

Neji nodded respectfully to Naruto. Usagi looked up at her father with a shocked expression, hurt in her eyes, but as Neji temporarily took his eyes off them Naruto's eyes opened slightly, a grin playing around his mouth, and he winked. Usagi smiled brightly, then turned to glare at Neji. "Happy now?" she asked, scowling, as her father turned.

Neji just looked at her with that same, eerie, fond smile, "as happy as I will be today, little rabbit."

Usagi's face twisted, "Don't call me little rabbit!" she snarled before turning to follow her father towards the Hokage tower. She threw one more scathing look over her shoulder at her least favorite uncle, his long hair falling around his shoulders, his Byakugan giving him that unearthly look, his headband pulled down around his neck, proudly displaying his bare forehead. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Usagi and Naruto walked in silence for a few moments as they put some distance between themselves and Neji. When at last Naruto was satisfied that his in-law was out of earshot, he turned to Usagi without breaking his stride. "You did cause quite a commotion, little rabbit," he said, taking the glider she offered him to carry.

"At least I didn't paint the faces of the four Origin Hokages!" Usagi protested.

Naruto laughed, staring down at her, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "True," he said, "but I think you still badly flustered the two guards posted at the scroll room."

Usagi put her hands behind her head and grinned, much in the same way Naruto had done when he was young. "If they can't handle a few smoke bombs fired at high speed then they don't deserve to be jonin."

Naruto laughed again. "Oh, so you don't think it had anything to do with the fact that you're the First Golden Hokage's daughter, eh?"

Usagi shook her head. "No," she stated matter-of-factly, "if anything it had something to do with the fact that I'm the future Second Golden Hokage."

Naruto reached down and rumpled her hair. "Probably," he agreed playfully.


	2. Usagi the Matchmaker

**Chapter 2: Usagi the Matchmaker**

-The Next Day-

"Usagi-chan!" called a high, sweet voice from somewhere off to Usagi's left. She glanced around to see her Aunt Ino waving cheerily at her from the doorway of the flower shop. Ino by far had the longest hair of any of Usagi's aunts, and she suspected the long blond ponytail was even longer than her mother's raven colored cascade of hair. Ino was smiling her sweetest, friendliest smile, a pink apron covering the front of her normally revealing clothes.

Usagi quickly darted over to the flower shop and Ino bent down until she was at eye level with the little girl. Usagi knew perfectly well what Ino was up to, but she didn't mind. She had business here anyway.

"Would you check these for me?" Ino asked sweetly, smiling a simpering smile and directing Usagi towards a recently erected display. "I have to make sure they're perfect, and who better to judge how fresh they are than a beautiful young blossom like you?" Usagi returned Ino's smile and began picking her way through the elaborate arrangement. The first few times Usagi had ever been called into the flower shop, 'to check the flowers' Ino would always say, she had been startled to find that the reflection she caught from the opposite shop window upon leaving featured done up in some exacting style. Once it had been pigtails, once an assortment of braids, and once even four spiky ponytails like Aunt Temari's hair. Ino loved to play with Usagi's hair, and simply would never pass up the opportunity to do something with it while Usagi wasn't looking. She never felt Ino's nimble, gentle hands, but she knew instinctively that each time she put her back to the blond woman a new style was being inflicted upon her.

Ino had always wanted a daughter. Ever since she had first started to take care of Sakura she had wanted a daughter. Someone to take care of. Someone to dress up in pretty clothes. Someone who would let Ino play with her hair. So of course when Ino had first gotten a good look at her niece's thick blond hair she had immediately decided she was going to enjoy being an aunt. She watched the little girl closely as she picked her way purposefully through the flowers. She seemed almost to be looking for something, Ino mused as she ran her fingers deftly through the blond strands.

"Usagi-chan?" she asked after a moment.

"Mhm?" Usagi replied, not looking up from the flowers.

"What do you think of your uncle Choji?"

Usagi grinned, careful not to let Ino see her smug face. That was the second thing she had to do here today. "Oh, he's the greatest!" she replied enthusiastically, as though she were delighted just thinking about him.

Ino was caught slightly off guard. "He is?" she asked, nonplussed.

"Oh yeah," Usagi replied, pretending to be absorbed in what she was doing so as not to have to look at Ino. "He's always around when I need him, he always gives me a bite of whatever he's eating, he never lets me down when he makes a promise, he's always there to cheer me on . . . you know if I had to pick one of my uncles I would like to be my father if it weren't for my real father, it would be Uncle Choji!"

Usagi pulled a slight face into a clump of violently pink flowers. She generally made it a point not to compare her father to anyone, but it was necessary today. And anyway, knowing how unlikely it was for her to make the comparison would only make Ino take it more seriously.

Ino, for her part, did take it seriously, so shocked she even stopped playing with Usagi's hair.

What Ino hadn't noticed was her own sharp intake of breath, something Usagi had been listening for. She grinned, reaching for a light pink flower that might work well.

"Say it!" squealed a high voice that seemed to be coming from somewhere outside the door.

Usagi turned, forcing Ino to reel back, then kneel on the floor beside the tiny girl in order to watch what was going on outside.

"Say it! Please!" Sakura simpered from the shadows beside the flower shop.

"Sakura-san, we're in a public place, I don't . . ." began Lee before he was cut off again by another whine from Sakura. They were standing concealed in the shadows, careful not to step into the light where they could be easily seen. Lee had his arms around Sakura's waist and she was pressed against him, her palms flat on his chest and her face just a few inches below his.

"Please Lee-kun! Just the one time!" she crooned, rising on her toes to press her forehead against his and nuzzle his cheek with her nose.

Lee glanced to either side as though making sure no one was watching, thankfully forgetting to look into the flower shop where Ino and Usagi were listening with rapt attention.

"Alright," he said after a moment, leaning down to nuzzle his mouth close to Sakura's ear, "I love you, Sakura-_chan_."

Sakura squealed in delight and rewarded her husband with a kiss that was heated enough to make Ino clap one hand over Usagi's eyes and the other over her own mouth to stop her giggles.

Usagi wiggled out of Ino's hold. She really didn't care what they were doing, but she had business to attend to. Quickly she turned to the arrangement and grabbed the small pink flower she had been eying earlier. It was a small accent, with only five petals, but it would work well. Tucking the flower safely in her pocket she darted back out the door.

"Aunt Sakura!" she called as Ino lunged out the shop door after her, landing in a disgruntled heap on the ground in front of the kissing couple. Two patches of red appeared on Lee's cheeks, but Sakura simpled turned in her husband's arms until her back was pressing into Lee's chest, his arms folded across her stomach. "Good morning Usagi-chan!" she said brightly, "Good morning Ino-pig!"

"Good morning billboard-brow." Ino replied stiffly, managing to get to her feet and dust herself off with an air of complete grace and dignity.

"Aunt Sakura," Usagi began, fully ignoring Ino, "have you seen Aunt Tenten today?"

Sakura blinking in surprise. "I think I saw her in one of the north training grounds," she replied, "Lee and I were just about to go and join her, but why . . ."

Usagi didn't give Sakura time to finish her sentence. "Great," Usagi cut her off, snapping up her glider from where she had propped in against a wall before Ino had spotted her, "could you tell her to meet me at the corner across from father's favorite ramen bar? Around noon?"

"Sure . . ." Sakura said, looking totally lost, as Usagi sped off in the other direction.

Usagi ran at top speed all the way to the barbecue restaurant. She didn't have much time to prepare, and she still hadn't finished her errands. She found the two people she was looking for where one would always find them on a Sunday morning when they didn't have mission; playing chess and eating barbecue.

"Uncle Choji!" Usagi called as she ran up to the window that exposed the table occupied by Choji and Shikamaru.

Choji grinned and pulled a juicy looking piece of meat off the grill, holding it out to her. "Hungry little one?" he laughed as she rushed up to them and struggled to catch her breath.

"Aunt Ino's looking for you!" Usagi panted, grabbing the food from Choji and devouring it as soon as she caught her breath.

Choji blinked, "what does she want?" he asked, bemused.

"No time!" Usagi gasped, tugging at his sleeve as though to pull him through the window. Choji got up and, after a hurried goodbye to Shikamaru, sped off in the direction Usagi had come from.

Shikamaru rested his chin on his hand as he surveyed his niece critically. He knew better than to believe Ino was actually looking for Choji, Usagi had that gleam in her eye, the same one Naruto had, that meant she was getting into mischief. "What are you up to, little one?" he asked finally.

Usagi cocked her head and stared at him with the most innocent looking face he could imagine. "What do you mean, Uncle Shikamaru?" she asked, as though she had never been in trouble in her life.

Shikamaru sighed. If Usagi didn't want to tell him what was going on, he would find out soon enough when whatever she was planning happened. "I heard Neji broke your glider," he replied instead.

Usagi suddenly looked very grumpy. "_Yes!_" she replied, very irritated, "he just threw a shuriken through it! Just like that!" she extended the gliders wings to show him, "There's a big hole in it now!"

Shikamaru eyed the slit in the glider's wing. "It's hardly a big hole, Usagi," he told her, though it didn't really matter. The glider's balance was delicate, and the fabric of the wings could not be patched. He would have to remake the wings altogether. Bothersome.

"Can you fix it?" Usagi asked almost pleadingly. For a moment Shikamaru considered lying. Then he cast the idea aside. If he told her he couldn't fix it she would simply beg him to make a new one until he gave in. He nodded.

Usagi immediately brightened. "How quickly?" she asked, jumping up and down outside the window.

Shikamaru sighed. "For anyone else, three days. For you, one bothersome afternoon. I'll have it for you by tomorrow."

Usagi leaped up pumped her fist into the air. "Yes!" she grinned, then turned and sprinted off in the other direction. "If you see Uncle Neji, tell him to meet me at the corner across from father's favorite ramen place. Noon!"

-Later-

Usagi was careful as she laid her trap. The wire was expertly concealed. Her position was perfectly undetectable. She crouched in the shadows, waiting for the sun to rise higher in the sky.

Her prey came. Just when she had expected, it came. Her hands were sweating on the wire as she counted the step, waiting for the perfect moment. _One, two, THREE!_ She tugged, and her prey fell forward. The landing was perfect, and she pulled out the weapon for her master stroke. Judging the wind, she held the tiny projectile in her fingers, then let it fly. She couldn't help making a quiet, victorious gesture from the shadows. Direct hit.

Tenten fell for it. Usagi had laid a trip wire in her path, and she fell for it. She fell for it right onto Neji's chest. Usagi had sprung the trap just as she came round the corner; true it was a trap laid by a six-year-old, but being in her own village she had not been expecting a trap at all. So it really was not surprising that her foot caught the concealed wire. What was more surprising was that her fall placed her squarely on top of her teammate.

"Tenten." Neji said simply in surprise. Her chest was pressed against his, her hands flat against his shoulders, her face just inches above him. His pale eyes were wide as they looked back into her chocolate ones. Slowly, a single pink flower drifted down out of nowhere and landed in Tenten's hair. Neji couldn't help it. On pure instinct, he reached up and pulled blossom out of her dark hair. His wrist brushed her face and . . . was that a blush he saw creeping over her cheeks? His whole brain seemed to momentarily shut down, leaving a single thought. _Damn she's beautiful._

From her place in the shadows, Usagi mouthed a disbelieving "_yes!"_


	3. The Hokage and His Wife

**Chapter 3: The Hokage and His Wife**

-That Night-

With two children put into bed, a number of pesky last minute annoyances shooed away from her husband's office, and the enormous Hokage tower final locked up for the night, Hinata made her way back upstairs. She approached Naruto's office, only to push open the door and find the circular room empty.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked quietly, stepping inside. Immediately the breath was forced out of her as a pair of strong arms wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her against and big, solid chest.

"Hinata-chan," the First Golden Hokage whispered huskily in her ear, tracing the shell with his tongue and leaving her with no doubt about his intent. Hinata sighed into him, letting his arms support her and leaning against his chest. This sensation, when he held her, made her feel so calm. She turned her head to bury her nose into his shirt, breathing in his scent. This was safe, she thought, this was home, more than the clan's compound had ever been. Naruto's arms provided more of a sanctuary than any fortress.

"Hinata-chan," he repeated, just as huskily, "go to the bedroom. I'll lock up, and then come and . . ."

"I already locked up, Naruto-kun," Hinata interrupted him dreamily. This seemed to be the correct response, as she once again had her breath stolen from her when he jerked her around in his arms and kissed her, forceful but not rough.

"What would I do without you, Hinata-chan?" he asked, his breath fanning her ear as his nose brushed along her cheek. Hinata just smiled to herself and placed her lips ever so lightly against his mouth, inviting it to crush hers in another demanding kiss. Naruto didn't waste time, his tongue demanding immediate entrance into her mouth. She gave it willingly, indeed desperately, as her palms pressed flat to his chest and she leaned against him for balance, drunk on his taste and dizzy from his touch.

"Let's have another one," Naruto suggested, when they came up for air. He rested his forehead against hers and he looked deep into her pale eyes.

"Another what?" Hinata asked, blinking slowly, hazily back at him.

"Baby," one of Naruto's hands left her back and slipped beneath the front of her shirt, gliding over her stomach in a possessive caress.

Hinata grinned at him. "Another girl?" she asked playfully, slipping her arms around his neck, "another little hellion for my cousin to run around after?"

"Give us more time to ourselves," Naruto agreed, "make Usagi much happier, since Neji would have someone else to take care of."

"Sounds like a plan," Hinata rubbed herself against her husband, fully aware of the bump pressing against her stomach.

Naruto moaned. "Oh, Hinata," he whispered, before bending down to pull her off her feet and into his arms. One arm went under her knees, the other stroked up and down her back as she cuddled into his shoulder, her face buried in his neck. It reminded her of how he had carried her away from the Hyuuga mansion, the last time she had ever laid eyes on it over his shoulder. They had not even left the office when Hinata's mouth began to explore the flesh exposed to her, kissing gently, then biting down only to trace the marks she left with her tongue.

They were halfway to the bedroom when Naruto decided he'd had enough of this. What she was doing to his neck made his eyes roll. Letting her legs drop he pushed her against a wall, pinning her arms above her head, his mouth coming down to crush hers again. His mouth dominated hers as one of his hands brushed down her arm to the zipper of her damnable coat. He hated this thing, sometimes, how much it hid from him, how much trouble it was to get off to reveal more of his beautiful wife to him. It dropped heavily to the floor to allow his hands to glide over her body.

Her hands freed when she had let him pull her arms out of her coat, Hinata ran her palms over his chest, tugging the white shirt up out of his pants to slip her hands under it to touch his bare skin. His muscles rippled under her touch, and she felt the all consuming desire to trace each one with her tongue. Marriage to Naruto, as well as two pregnancies, had taught her to obey her cravings, so she gently kissed her way down his neck until she reached his shirt collar. Pushing his coat off his shoulders she tugged impatiently at the hem of his shirt until he obligingly pulled it off, exposing his broad, muscular chest to her hungry eyes. And her hungry mouth.

Naruto was generally obliged to let Hinata do whatever she wanted during sex. This was the reason. God her mouth was wonderful, instantly seeking out his most sensitive places, running her tongue along the ridges between his muscles, tracing each of his few battle scars with tender lips. She ran her tongue over all the right places as his fingers buried themselves in her thick dark hair. It was only when her teeth began to pull at the drawstrings of his waistband that his grip tightened, forcing her to a stop.

Hinata glanced up to see Naruto's eyes half closed, his breathing ragged, his head tilted back. "Don't tease me, Hinata," he growled, though with a certain tenderness in his voice, "don't tease me."

And then they were kissing and trying to get to the bedroom as fast as they could manage. The walk was crazy, first one leading the way backwards, then the other, somewhere along the way Hinata's shirt and bra being discarded, their hands roaming all over each other, refusing to forsake contact.

Once they reached the bedroom Hinata found herself pushed up against something again, though this time it was the door. Naruto continued ravaging her mouth for another moment, then broke the heated kiss to bend down and scoop her up in his arms again, bridal style this time, so that he was looking down at her, cradled in his arms, as he kicked open the door and carried her to the bed.

Seeing the way he fought, one might expect Naruto to be rough, but he was exceedingly gentle as he laid her down on the bed. He discarded his own pants before sitting on the bed beside her. She tried to sit up, to kiss him again, but he gently pushed her back down so he could see her, all of her, lying in his bed, already aching for him. "You're beautiful, Hinata-chan," he breathed.

This earned him the blush he had come to love so much, as he gently ran the knuckles of one hand over her cheek. She stared up at him as his eyes traveled up and down her body, his hands ghosting over her skin, not touching her but close enough that she could feel the heat emanating from his palms. She let him pull off her pants, then closed her eyes in pleasure at the simple touch of his hands running over her legs, one hand stroking her inner thigh, the other running up her leg to glide over her hip.

Naruto bent over her. "Hinata," he kissed her navel, "tell me," he licked at her left breast, "what you want . . ." his mouth closed over the tiny hard bead and she arched her back in pleasure, molding her stomach to his. Her fingers worked into his blond hair as she tugged at him, trying to pull him upwards.

"You," she whispered with the little breath he left her with, "all I've ever wanted was you."

He groaned, and the sound vibrated through her breast as he continued to torture her nipple. "Hinata . . . Hinata . . ."

"Naruto-kun," she whispered breathlessly, "Naruto-kun I can't . . . mmmmm!"

Naruto had pulled down her panties and slipped a finger inside her. He pressed into her and she threw her head back, then stared at him with wild eyes. "No!" she gasped, "No I want . . . I want . . ." she clawed at his boxers. Naruto reached down and removed them, tossing them and her panties aside.

"Hinata," he whispered one last time before he pushed into her. Naruto groaned and Hinata's head was thrown back as she gasped again. Just like every time the sheer size of him made her eyes roll, and just like every time she drove him crazy with her tightness. Her legs went around his waist, pulling him in deeper. His arms were braced on either side of her head, his eyes burning with passion above her.

Hinata drew in several ragged breaths before she could feel or sense anything but his demanding presence inside of her. Her eyes slowly slid into focus, and she stared up at her husband. Their eyes finally met, hers burning into his, and she whispered the command he could not have disobeyed to save his soul. "Move in me."

He withdrew slowly, sliding himself over her clit and making her squirm under him. Her fingers were in his hair and her head was again thrown back, offering him her neck to burn with a trail of light kisses. And then he pushed in again, a little faster this time, stretching her, filling her. She whimpered.

"Hinata-chan," he murmured against her throat, withdrawing again to hold himself poised over her, "I . . ."

Naruto never got to finish the thought. At that precise moment Hinata's hips bucked, forcing him back into her, and whatever he had been about to say was lost in the sound of his groan and her gasp.

At first his rhythm was slow, tender as he breathed into her throat. Then he hit _that_ spot and all attempt to savor the experience was lost at her punctuated cry. He loved the little breathy sounds she made, loved the tiny noises, between a scream and whimper, that escaped her when he was in her. He picked up his pace, the sounds of her pleasure ringing in his ears, his whole body singing in response.

Hinata's eyes rolled as he leaned into her, balancing on his elbows as he moved faster and faster, his mouth locked on the column of her throat. "Naruto-kun," the ragged cry burst from her throat, "Naruto-k . . . Naruto . . . kuuuuun!"

Her scream of release was all he needed to topple over the edge. She felt the warmth of his come inside her, he felt her spasms of aftershock clenching him as tiny ripples of pleasure washed over them.

The first thing Hinata felt when she came back to herself was his light kisses on her neck. She smiled, moving to get out from under him so she could cuddle into his arms, but he held her still, covering her with his body. "Just a minute, Hinata-chan," he whispered, pulling a sheet up between their bodies to cover her and reaching for his discarded boxers.

Once decently covered, Naruto stalked to the window. Bracing himself with both hands on the sill, he leaned out and yelled, "You had better have a damn good explanation for this Pervy Sage!"

Sannin Jiraiya, Naruto's former sensei, stepped out of the shadows outside the window, rubbing the back of his neck and chuckling nervously. "Uh, research?" he tried.

A swirling ball of concentrated chakra appeared in Naruto's hand. "You have five seconds to get off my roof. Five . . . four . . . three . . . two . . ."

"Wait, wait wait!" Jiraiya waved his hands as though to ward off the Hokage, "I have a good excuse this time! Honest!"

"Is the excuse one of your pervy books?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.

Jiraiya gave a mock look of offense. "Really Naruto!" he asked, feigning a wounded tone, "Is that really the only thing you think I think about?"

"It is the only thing you think about," Naruto said flatly.

If one can apply the word to a 60 year old ninja, Jiraiya pouted. At last, casting a disappointed look at the still covered Hinata, he held a scroll out to Naruto. "There's been a slight change in plans for the visiting Kages," he told his former pupil, "It seems your guests were so eager to see you they're arriving two days early."

"Tomorrow?" Naruto furrowed his brow, letting the rasengan dissipate and taking the scroll.

Jiraiya grinned, "Looks like you got some work to do tonight kid! No more time to spend with your sweetheart today!" then laughed as he evaded the punch Naruto aimed at his head by leaping backwards off the roof.


	4. The Three Kages

**Chapter 4: The Three Kages**

Usagi hated the kimono. It was a terribly soft pink color that everyone said went well with her hair, but she did not like at all. It was tight around her legs and restricted her movements, and worst of all, she had to walk slowly down the dirt streets so as not to get the cursed thing dirty or tear it. Still, she thought as she held onto her mother's hand to keep from falling in the impossible shoes, she had to remember that once she got to the crowd gathered at the gate to the village her whole family would be there, the arrival of the last few members being the cause of all the commotion. The thought of all her aunts and uncles, every last one, all smiling and happy, was almost enough to make up for the stupid kimono.

When Hinata and Usagi reached the congregation the crowd parted to admit them, leaving a path to where the First Golden Hokage stood. Naruto was fidgeting uncomfortably, as though the Hokage robes and hat were nothing short of painful, but anyone that knew him well knew that what was really bothering him was the swarm of ANBU clustered around him. Naruto was not one for the implication that he could not take care of himself, and though he knew the guard was there just to be sure, he still had to fight the urge to snap every time one glanced around at a small noise. He cursed himself silently; they were just doing their jobs, after all. His four-year-old son, Mizu, was doing a better job of keeping still, standing patiently at his father's feet, his small, pale eyes focused straight ahead.

When she reached him Hinata wrapped her arms around one of her husband's, and leaning in she whispered something inaudible in his ear. She placed a small kiss on his cheek, and he turned to her, returning her gentle smile with a dazzling one of his own. He stilled, comforted by her casual and familiar presence.

His eyes slid downward onto his two children. Usagi was fidgeting worse than him, no doubt agitated by the constricting and overly feminine kimono. Mizu's eyes had switched from the gate to his sister, watching as she stuck out her bottom lip and exhaled, blowing her hair out of her face. Naruto chuckled. It was good to be reminded that there was someone who hated all this fuss and ritual almost as much as he did, and handled it just as poorly. Admittedly he had never thought of his behavior as poor, but he knew that very few of his old teachers would have approved of the fact that his approach to such ceremonies had not changed with age. Most of them had thought he would one day grow out of his childishness, and Naruto took great pride in the fact that he never had. It was, he maintained, what made him such a good Hokage.

The opening of the heavy gates took far too long. They creaked and groaned as though reluctant to let anyone through, but at last they stood open, framing two almost identical honor guards of the two Kages standing just outside the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

The first to step inside the Leaf Village's walls was The Kazekage of the Village Hidden in the Sand, Gaara. As usual his face was quite expressionless as his eyes swept the crowd. The Kage uniform he wore had not managed to deny him the large gourd of sand on his back, a comforting reminder that this was indeed Gaara, despite the fact that his telltale mop of violently red hair was completely hidden. On either side of Gaara stood his brother and sister, Kankuro and Temari. Kankuro's eyes swept over the crowd in an appraising manner. Temari, however, glanced almost anxiously about herself in a search for something besides a threat. Temari, of course, was far more comfortable in the Leaf Village than her brothers, after all she had only gone to Suna to see them and escort Gaara back with her to the village that had been her home since she'd gotten married. The one unusual thing about the Kazekage's honor guard was that it included a small child, a boy with dark hair pulled back into a tight ponytail, held casually in Temari's arms.

Usagi squirmed. She hated all this pomp and ceremony, it stopped her from running up to one of her favorite uncles and giving him a hug like she really should have. Gaara's eyes at last came to settle on Naruto and his family. His lips twitched into his small smile at the sight of his friend's face, and then his eyes shifted to Usagi. His smile widened ever so slightly, and he winked.

Then the second Kage stepped forward, his honor guard close in tow. This time it was Naruto's turn to smile at the sight of an old friend. It was all he could do to stop from running up to him, hand held high in an excited wave, calling out "Hey, Sasuke!"

Sasuke Uchiha, the Kage of the Village Hidden in the Sound, met his friend's excited smile with a calmer one of his own. He scanned the sea of faces lining the walk to where the other two Kages stood, smiling and nodding as he met each one he remembered from his childhood in this very village. At last he stood with the others, the three of them forming as small triangle, their family, friends and guards fanning out behind each one. To an onlooker who did not know these men personally they looked imposingly impressive; three great men standing on even footing, each leading an army as though they were a convergence of great mystical energies. The three Kages.

"Usagi," whispered a voice from somewhere behind her. She glanced back to see Shikamaru, kneeling behind her, holding her glider out to her. Her eyes lit up as she took it from him, but he pressed a finger to his lips to keep her silent. She cocked her head in question and he grinned, ducking around behind Naruto to make his way to the line of people rimming the open space where the Kages and their guards stood.

"Temari Nara," he said, stepping forward as the crowd parted for him to stand across the way from Temari, "you have something that belongs to me."

Temari's eyes lit up at the sound of Shikamaru's voice, but when she turned to him it was with a sly look. "And what would that be?" she asked, her tone light and teasing, a laugh dancing in her eyes.

Shikamaru grinned like a mad man. "Why, a kiss, of course," he almost laughed. Temari did laugh, holding her son in one arm, the other hand pressed against her mouth to smother her giggles. Kankuro rolled his eyes and Gaara snorted, though neither of them could disguise a small smile. They were happy that their sister was happy.

Temari's eyes danced playfully. "I have something else for you first, Shika-kun," she grinned. Kneeling down, she set the boy in her arms on the ground. "Show daddy what you learned when you went to Suna with mommy," she whispered into the boy's ear.

Shikamaru's eyes widened, the grin slipping from his face as he fell to his knees, arms stretched out to his son. The boy reached for his father, a happy smile on his tiny face, and took a few unstable steps forward. Temari looked down at her son anxiously, watching as he walked, slowly but surely, towards his father. Shikamaru looked at his child, not two years old, walking towards him. He swallowed convulsively, his mouth seeming to have suddenly gone dry as step by step the boy edged closer to him. A few paces in front of his father the child tripped, falling forward. Shikamaru, however, lunged to scoop his son into his loving embrace. Temari ran forward as Shikamaru stood and threw her arms around his neck as everyone in the crowd cheered. Maneuvering the dark haired boy so he was balanced on one hip, Shikamaru wrapped an arm around Temari's shoulders, pulling her into his passionate kiss. Another cheer went up from the crowd as the long separated couple welcomed each other, their child cooing happily between them.

"Temari, stop making a spectacle of yourself," said Kankuro half heartedly.

Temari took her tongue out of Shikamaru's mouth long enough to stick it out at her oldest brother. "Oh shut up, Kankuro."

Naruto and Sasuke both laughed. Sasuke's smile was easy as he surveyed his friends, the people he had known since he was a child. His eyes swept the crowd, looking for one face in particular. He frowned. "Where's Sakura?" he asked Naruto mildly, still looking around for her.

Lee stepped forward. "She said she was sorry she could not be here to meet you," he said, nodding slightly to Sasuke, "she is not feeling well this morning and decided to stay in bed until she felt better." He looked up, smiling at the younger shinobi, and to the casual observer his smile seemed genuine. However, someone who knew Lee well could see that the kind look he wore did not entirely reach his eyes, and there was tension there, just under the surface. Sasuke returned Lee's smile and nod, however the same tension was also returned.

Sasuke turned to smile, truly this time, at Usagi. "I hope you have not been causing too much trouble, little one."

It was not a question. Usagi answered anyway, "Oh no, Uncle Sasuke, I've been on my best behavior."

The skeptical grin he gave her only made the blond girl laugh.

Gaara, as though to distract himself from his sister's continued antics, turned towards Hinata and bent his head to her. "A pleasure, as always Hinata," he said quietly.

Hinata bent her head shyly in response. Gaara then turned his attention to Mizu. The Kazekage bowed his head rather lower than was necessary to greet the child, and Mizu did the same. Something unspoken seemed to flash between them, but it lasted only for a second, and then Gaara returned his gaze to Naruto. "It's been a while, my friend," he said simply.

Naruto rolled his eyes, slouching like a petulant child. "Too long if you ask me," he almost whined, "I haven't seen you guys in ages!"

-Later-

Lee entered the bedroom to find Sakura laying on the bed, still pale and looking thoroughly exhausted. She looked up and smiled weakly when he entered. "So," she asked, sitting up, "how did it go?"

"No better than could have been expected," he sighed, coming to sit on the bed next to her. He cupped her cheek fondly, then his hand traced down her neck, over her shoulder, along her arm, to rest on her abdomen.

"Sasuke wanted to know where you were," he told her quietly.

Sakura looked away. She did not want to look at her husband. She did not want to think about it, about what he was trying to get her to discuss. She knew the problem facing them. They had faced it before, together, but the circumstances were different now. The stakes were even higher.

Lee stretched out his other hand to grasp her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Sakura-chan," he whispered, his eyes full of a strange mixture of sadness and longing, "every morning this grows worse. Every morning you find yourself too ill to rise. How long can we keep this a secret?"

Sakura looked back at her husband, trying to find the words. She placed her hand over the one he had placed on her stomach. "At least until he leaves," she said quietly, "at least until then, we have to."

Lee's eyes narrowed, looking at her in a mixture of confusion and concern. "You don't really think. . ." he let the thought trail off to hang in the air between them.

Sakura looked down at the sheets. "I don't know, Lee," she whispered, sounding as though she were fighting tears, "I don't know, but I don't wanna risk it."


	5. Who Wears the Pants

**Chapter 5: Who Wears the Pants**

Shikamaru winced as he was thrown yet again into the tree behind him by the force of the wind directed at his chest. He was beginning to regret agreeing to leave his son with Kankuro and Gaara to come out here and train with Temari. It was late, he was tired, he had not seen his wife or child in weeks, and all he really wanted to do was sit quietly on the roof with the two of them and look at the stars while they caught up. Temari, however, had had other ideas, and insisted they spend time training despite the fact that it was already very late, darkness shrouding the village. The official nonsense that had accompanied her return to the village with her two brothers in tow had taken most of the day, and Shikamaru imagined that Temari must have been quite restless and ready to release some energy, though she did not fidget and indeed showed no sign of being jittery. Her attacks, however, spoke for themselves, as she unleashed wave after wave of pent up aggression on her husband in the form of brutal wind attacks.

"What's the matter, Shika-chan?" Temari laughed. All trace of her light and loving manner from earlier in the day was gone on the training field, and now, annoyed with how little of a fight he was giving her, she began to bait him. Shikamaru knew she was just trying to make him angry so he'd fight harder. That didn't make it any less irritating when she called him 'Shika-chan.'

"Temari, let's go home," he begged one more time, "it's late. I'm tired."

"You're not even trying!" she protested, as she swung her fan again. Shikamaru growled, trying to stand against the gale force winds being hurled at him.

"Temari," he warned, his voice taking on a dangerous tone, "I've had enough of this. You're being a drag, lets go home already."

Temari just grinned slyly. "But I'm having fun," she told him, her eyes glinting in the light from the few torches that cast long, flickering shadows across the training ground. She readied her fan for another attack.

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "So," he replied coolly, "you wanna play games do you?"

Temari laughed, and Shikamaru's lips twitched. She didn't think he was being serious. He would show her how serious he was. If Temari wanted him to play rough, then he would play rough. Snapping his hands into the familiar seal, he called out, "Ninja Art: Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Temari's eyes flew open as she found herself suddenly immobile, trapped by Shikamaru's jutsu. Shikamaru gave a smug smile as he walked calmly forward, Temari coming to meet him in the middle of the training field in forced, jerky steps.

"Not fair," she spat, once she was standing in front of him. "We agreed."

Shikamaru smirked, "I know," he said, "I somehow remember you not pulverizing me with that fan of yours being a part of said agreement. You break your word," one hand gripped her chin, positioning her to receive his kiss. His tongue stroked over her bottom lip, asking for the entrance she denied him. One hand went suddenly to her left breast and tweaked the small nub at its tip, making her gasp against his mouth. He used the opportunity to force his way inside, his tongue exploring the interior of her mouth even as she struggled against the hold of his shadow.

"I break mine," he finished breathlessly when he finally released her mouth. Temari gave him a murderous glare. "I'm going to ask you one more time," Shikamaru panted against her mouth, "let's go home, alright?"

"Bite me!" Temari told him savagely. Shikamaru's eyes burned into hers with an intense passion.

"If you insist," he whispered huskily, before attacking her neck. He bit down lightly on the soft flesh, earning a breathy moan, then let his tongue slide over the brutal hickey. He kissed his way down to her shoulder, burying his face in the hollow of her throat. His lips slid back up her neck to trace the whorls of her ear.

She moaned again as his body pressed to hers, his hands gliding over her curves, and it was perhaps this second moan that encouraged him to release her. Even he wasn't sure whether it was in the heat of passion or a nod to his pride, but the moment he released the jutsu binding her he felt the hard edge of her fan connect with the side of his head. Dazed, he stopped and stumbled back a step, and in another second he was flat on his back on the ground with Temari on top of him.

"So you want to play, Shika-kun?" she purred, grinding her hips against his erection. Shikamaru growled his approval and reached for the sash that held her outfit together. Even as he pulled it from her waist she was tearing open his Jonin vest, ripping his shirt to expose his chest. He tugged at her neckline, pulling aside the cloth that covered her breasts. He leaned forward, trying to sit up to take one into his mouth, but almost immediately she pushed him back down, pressing her exposed breasts to his stomach as she leaned down to trace her tongue over his chest. In one long stroke she licked her way up the middle of his chest, tracing up his neck until her mouth met his again. The kiss this time was scorching, a fierce battle for dominance as his mouth moved against hers, even as she rocked her hips against his. His hands went around her back to trace up her spine, then suddenly they tightened. Temari gasped as he grabbed her sides and roughly thrust her sideways, reversing their positions so he was on top of her, one of his hands pinning her wrists above her head.

"A man should never lose to a woman," he panted against her mouth, even as she growled up at him, angry at being trapped under him. His free hand traced up the curve of her hip to cup her breast, before he leaned down to lick teasingly at the hard little nub of her nipple. Temari arched her back, struggling against his hold as he took the sensitive bud into his mouth, gently sucking and swirling his tongue around it. Temari squirmed, bucking her hips against his as he continued to tease her. She groaned as his hand went between their two bodies, gliding over her stomach to force her black garment open further. His hand found the small string that served as the hem of her panties and pulled down, exposing her to his skilled, clever fingers.

Temari gasped again as he slipped one finger inside her, slowly swirling it around her clit as he continued to torture the captured nipple. Shikamaru smiled against her breast as he felt her writhe under him, but the grin was almost immediately followed by a groan of pain as one of her knees found his groin. Hard. The pain made him loosen his grip on her wrists and she struggled free, placing her palms on his shoulders and pushing him off her roughly. Before he knew it she was straddling him again.

"Don't give me that bull, Shika-kun," she ordered, jerking down his pants and boxers. Grabbing his erection, she pumped him hard, "we both know you love it when I'm on top."

Shikamaru's only reply was to groan and reach up to grasp her head, pulling her down into his kiss. He pulled the ties from her hair, freeing it from its four ponytails and running his fingers through it in a caress that was as possessive as it was tender. She herself was already bare, and it only took her a moment to position him at her entrance. He let out a loud groan as she slid herself onto him, her hands on his hips pulling him in as deep as he could go.

The kiss was broken and Temari lifted her head. For a moment they just stared at each other, panting, eyes locked in a kind of silent exchange. What seemed an eternity passed as what seemed hours of conversation flashed between them in a second's time. Then Temari leaned down and pressed her lips, ever so gently, onto his.

Temari wasn't sure how he had done it, but somehow, when she broke the light kiss, Shikamaru was on top of her again. And she could see by the burning look in his eyes that the moment of tenderness had passed. Temari grinned mischievously up at him, before the first thrust erased the look and replaced it with one of pure ecstasy. Shikamaru was famous for his laziness, but if there was one thing he could expend energy on, it was the almost violent pounding of his hips onto hers. She gripped his sides with her calves, her hands going up to free his hair from its tight ponytail so that it hung down around his face. She wound her fingers through the dark strands and tugged, pulling his head backward, his expression a mixture of pleasure and pain. She used the opportunity to push him onto his back again, straddling him with her legs still gripping his sides. She rode him hard, letting out a steady stream of animalistic noises, and earning an equally steady stream of grunts and growls from him. She braced herself with her hands on either side of his head as she bucked her hips, forcing him deeper and deeper inside her.

"Temari!" Shikamaru panted, his eyes burning into hers. Then her hands went around his back as he forced his hands under him to lift himself up, locking his arms once he was in a sitting position with Temari seated in his lap. She leaned herself against his broad chest, her mouth going to his throat and teasing the exposed flesh their as the new position drove each thrust deeper. God, she was already so close . . . and then Shikamaru threw back his head and let out a strangled cry as Temari's released tightened her around him, all the little muscles inside her clenching him until he spilled his cum deep within her.

Shikamaru's arms gave way beneath him and he collapsed back onto the ground, Temari laying, drained, on top of him. It was a few moments before either of them could do anything besides pant, Temari against the skin of Shikamaru's neck. At last she pushed herself up on her arms, her palm braced on the ground on either side of his head. Shikamaru lay still, gazing back up at Temari.

"Let's go home," she whispered, pressing her lips lightly against his again.

Shikamaru let out a tired laugh. "I thought you'd never ask," he joked breathlessly.

Temari rolled off him and he pulled up his pant and boxers as she pulled the black cloth closed over her exposed breasts and retied the red sash. There was nothing to be done about his torn shirt, but he redid the vest over his bare chest and stood up, turning to where she still sat, her legs stretched out to one side, on the ground.

"Tired, Shika-kun?" she asked lazily, stretching.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Are you?" he asked, and before she could say anything else he leaned down and lifted her into his arms bridal style.

Shikamaru didn't get five feet before she started thrashing about in his arms. "_Hell_ no," she spat, wiggling out of his hold to stand unsteadily on her own two feet.

Shikamaru just shrugged, giving his wife an amused look. "Whatever pleases you, _Temari-hime_. I just thought you might be tired."

"And here I thought you would be tired," she teased, taking one of his arms and putting it around her neck as though to support him. Shikamaru just laughed, pulling her into his side and beginning the long walk home.


	6. The Byakugan Master's Charge

**Chapter 6: The Byakugan Master's Charge**

-Later-

"_I am wise like an owl. I am clever like a fox. I am fast like the wind. I am strong like the mountain._

_ "I am steady like the river. I am gentle like the breeze. I am warm like the sunlight. I am grounded like a tree._

_ "I am wise like an owl. I am clever like a fox. I am fast like the wind. I am strong like the mountain._

_ "I am steady like the river. I am gentle like the breeze. I am warm like the sunlight. I am grounded like a tree."_

Usagi chanted it over and over to herself. It was her mantra, the words she spoke constantly during her training. She struck the training pole again and again, trying to put as much energy into each hit as she could. Still, each time she pulled back she seemed to have more energy than before. She pounded the post mercilessly, ignoring the pain from her bleeding hands as she hit first one side, then the other, refusing to stop or slow down. She had to keep going. If she didn't keep moving, didn't keep expending energy . . . if she slowed down for just a moment, gave it time to build up . . . she couldn't do it. Her body felt like it was struggling to break free of its skin. Her heart was pounding as though she were about to die. Her breathing was desperate as she tried to suck as much cool air into her lungs as possible. Her body felt so hot, so jumpy, so determined to go in two different directions at once. It was this feeling, this overdose of adrenaline, that had made it so impossible to sleep. She had tried to lay still in bed but her muscles refused to relax, tensing and flexing, clenching painfully and only releasing for a split second before they again began to move of their own accord. At last she couldn't take it anymore. She'd had to leave her bed, climb out her window and come here to train . . . and this was the reason. This overflow of chakra flooding through her body like a wildfire.

"I am wise like and owl," she panted, hitting the post again and again, "I am clever like a fox, I am fast like . . ."

"A rabbit?" someone cut her off from behind. She was so absorbed the overload of chakra and her brutal pummeling of the pole that the voice seemed almost to be part of her subconscious, only half heard and even less comprehended. It was only when a pair of strong hands clasped around her shoulders and pulled her away from her training that she realized who was standing behind her.

"Let me _go_ Uncle Neji!" she growled, trying to pull away. He calmly held her still, turning her to face him in the dark.

"A little late for training isn't it, little rabbit?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Why do you care?" Usagi demanded, still thrashing about in his hold. His grip on her shoulders was stopping her from blowing off the energy building up inside her. She wanted him to let _go_, to let her do as she liked, do what she needed to do to get rid of this pounding urge to _move_. Couldn't he tell she was in pain?

"Because I care about you, Usagi," he sighed, kneeling down so that he was face to face with the child. She glared at him. Her struggles had stopped but now her whole body shook with rage.

"Liar!" she spat, "The only reason you care about me is because my father's the Hokage! If it wasn't for him you wouldn't care what happened to me!"

Neji narrowed his pale eyes a little as his gaze became more focused."That isn't true, little rabbit. Your mother is, after all, my cousin. She and I were very close in our youth. We still are . . ."

"Liar!" Usagi repeated, screaming now, "You were cruel to her when you were kids! You almost killed her during the first Chuunin Exam you took together! You hated her!"

"I was once jealous of her, that's true little rabbit," Neji tried to explain, "but we overcame that. There are no longer any bitter feelings between us."

"Then why didn't you help her?" Usagi challenged angrily, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "When Hiashi disowned her, why didn't you help her? Why didn't you say something, speak for her, fight for her?"

"There was nothing I could do, little . . ."

But Usagi cut him off again. "And when he decided she was strong enough after all and tried to force her to return to the clan after she'd become and elite jonin and made it on her own! Where were you then?"

For a moment Neji tried to think of something to make her understand. Then he just sighed again. The look in her eyes said it all. She would not believe anything he said to her.

At last he gave up on trying to get anything through to her and released her shoulders, instead grabbing one of her small hands and examining the bloody wounds. "Here," he said, pulling a roll of bandages from his sleeve and unrolling some to wrap around her hand, "let me help you."

"I don't need your help!" she insisted, pulling her hand away and turning back to the wooden post. "Besides, I'm not done with my training yet!" The feeling of being completely overwhelmed by chakra was mostly gone now, but her body still hummed with excess energy.

Neji frowned. "You need to be in bed, little rabbit," he insisted, grasping her shoulder gently and turning her to face him again, "I'll bandage these, then take you home."

"Don't call me little rabbit!" she snarled, trying to break free even as he took hold of her wrist and began trying to wrap her hand in the bandages.

Neji sighed. He'd been wondering when she'd notice that.

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, and her foot made contact with his shin. Neji grunted and dropped her hand a moment to clutch at his injured leg, but it only took a second for Usagi to dart away from him, leaping into a nearby tree and streaking back towards the Hokage Tower in great bounds. Neji gave a final sigh. At least she was heading home.

-Later-

Usagi soared in through one of the tower's many windows and, not having bothered to see where she was jumping to, found herself in the area that served as a living room for her family. It was a large open space, a sofa and two chairs facing the large fireplace, but other than that the only thing in it were rugs and the pictures lining the walls.

There were a great many pictures, Naruto was fond of having a reminder of each and every member of his extended adoptive family. There were pictures of all of Usagi's various "Aunts" and "Uncles," all the people Naruto had grown up with and had thus sort of adopted as a large collection of brothers and sisters.

There was a picture of Squad 7, Kakashi lording over Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura as genin. There was a picture of Ino and Sakura at the flower shop, smiling and waving as Lee walked by.

There was one of the "dead lasts," Naruto, Shikamaru, Kiba and Choji, lounging lazily on a hill the day after they'd all become jonin.

There was one of Naruto, Sasuke and Gaara at Ichiraku, all having abandoned their Kage attire to spend an evening as three old friends and determinedly ignoring the ANBU from three villages in the background.

There was one of a reluctant looking Shino, who looked rather like he was being forced into the frame by Kiba and Hinata pushing him from behind.

There was one of Gaara, Kankuro and Temari, all clustered around Temari's son when he'd been only a few months old.

One of Sakura, standing in a grove of cherry trees wrapped in Lee's arms, and one of Hinata beaming like a child as she rode on Naruto's back.

There was one of Tenten, face shining like the sun since someone, Naruto actually, had persuaded Neji to put his arm around her for the sake of the picture.

There was even one of all fifteen of them crowded into the same frame, everyone grinning, laughing, pushing each other, and in general being a rowdy group of friends.

Usagi turned to the space over the fireplace. This stretch of wall held three pictures in a great triangle, and they were Usagi's favorite. The one at the very top was of the Fourth Hokage, Naruto's father and Usagi's grandfather, the same robes Naruto wore now fluttering around him as he gazed down at the village. The bottom left one was of Naruto himself on the day he had become the First Golden Hokage, gazing down at the village in much the same manner, with his friends, no his family, clustered around him. The last one was of Naruto and Hinata, Usagi and Mizu standing in front of them, the perfect family.

Usagi stared up at the pictures of her father and grandfather. How much had they both sacrificed in service of the village? How many times had they both proved that they did not care about the wealth or the title, but about the village itself? And yet still there were people like Neji, only interested in what could be gained from the position. He was the head of his clan, and that power alone worried her about how his ambition had already hurt the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Usagi's hands balled into fists at her sides.

"I'm not going to let someone so greedy leech off my family!" Usagi promised the three pictures in front of her. "I will not let him use my family, or the people of this village, as stepping stones for his own gain! After my father I will become Hokage, and I will not let anyone who doesn't truly care about this village hold power in it!"

"Well spoken, little one," said a voice from somewhere behind her. Usagi whirled around to see her Uncle Sasuke leaning casually against wall behind her, hidden in shadows. He pushed off from the wall and walked quietly across the room to stand beside her, looking at the pictures above the hearth. "As I remember your father was very fond of making such declarations when he was young," he turned slightly to smile down at her, "though he usually preferred to have more of an audience."

Sasuke and Usagi stared up at the pictures on the wall in silence. A few moments passed and neither of them said anything, as though they were both more interested in the three generations depicted before them than each other. At last Usagi glanced up at her uncle. She, of course, knew how he had come to be the Kage of the Village Hidden in the Sound when he had grown up in the Hidden Leaf Village, but his defection was not something Usagi much cared about. He cared about her family, and though for a time his judgment had been clouded by hatred for his brother, he had eventually remembered who his true family was, embracing them enough to let them go into battle with him when he faced Itachi for the very last time, and emerged victorious. Naruto was Sasuke's brother, more so than Itachi had ever been, and as such Sasuke was a member of Usagi's family, her uncle, whether they shared blood or not.

"Neji means well, you know," Sasuke said quietly after a moment, not taking his eyes off the pictures in front of him.

Usagi just snorted. "Oh please," she snarled, "his seal's been removed, he's the head of his clan, the use of the seal has become illegal, the system of head and branch families has been abolished, and its all thanks to my father. He has everything, and yet still he's sniffing around me and my family, wondering what else he can get out of us."

Sasuke shook his head. "That isn't it all all, Usagi, really. He really does want what's best for you, this is his way of trying to repay all the kindness your parents have done him."

Usagi stuck up her nose. "I don't believe that," she replied disdainfully, "he's always poking his nose into my business, no matter what I'm doing he always has to interfere. He's just trying to look like he's watching over me, that's all."

Sasuke gave the little girl next to him an appraising look. He almost seemed as though he was sizing her up, wondering how much to tell her, or how much she already knew. "If you knew the whole story little one, you'd understand."

Usagi scoffed, "Fat chance."


	7. Demons

**Chapter 7: Demons**

Sasuke leaped nimbly from rooftop to rooftop, a strangely nostalgic sensation washing over him as he traced a familiar path over the buildings of Konoha. Even if he was now the leader of another village, that didn't erase the countless hours he'd spent up here, soaring above the city streets, practicing stealth with Naruto and Sakura by spying on Kakashi. His destination made him more uneasy than anything. Usagi's simply answer of "training" to his question about where her parent's were had left him with a slight suspicion that he was being set up, and her sly, mischievous smile as she told him where exactly they were "training" left him with no doubt that something was weird about this. Still, he didn't really have a choice. This could not be put off.

True, there had been things he had wanted to do before night fell, but now that the daylight was gone he had to get on with what really needed doing, and for that he would need Naruto and Gaara's help.

Sasuke put his foot on the wall surrounding the village and pushed off into the forest, ignoring the rather obvious way the chuunin on guard duty determinedly ignored him. True, as an outsider he was not technically supposed to be allowed to come and go as he pleased, but it wasn't as though anyone from this village, much less a scared chuunin, was going to oppose him considering not only was he a native but also an extremely powerful Kage.

As he sped through the woods toward the waterfall, unhindered by the Kage robes he had left behind in his guest quarters, he let his mind wander back to the Hokage Tower, and what Usagi had told him. It was strange really, her seemingly unexplained hatred of Neji. He knew, of course, that all her rantings about him leeching off her family were utter nonsense, you simply did not go through the things Neji had been through with Naruto and Hinata and come out able to be dishonest to one anther. But if it wasn't a child's instincts then what was it that had her so spooked of the man?

He thought back to a conversation with Naruto from almost a year ago. When Usagi had been a small child, well, a smaller child, she had been stricken with terrible night terrors. A few times a month she would wake screaming and crying, completely hysterical. The only thing that seemed to calm Usagi down on these nights was Naruto, being held in her father's arms while he stroked her hair soothingly. However, every once and a while Usagi would wake to find that her father was away, and then nothing besides the passing of the hours till dawn could bring her down from her state of terror. Hinata had called everyone she knew to try and help her daughter, but the child seemed to want nothing and no one besides her father. Finally, at her wit's end, she had called her cousin. Neji had come immediately to sit by Usagi's bedside to try and calm her. Hinata had watched as, sitting by her bed, Neji had begun to stroke Usagi's skin gently, brushing over her chakra points to gain control of her chakra network, attempting to use its power to sooth her adrenaline loaded body. The moment Neji's hand had touched her skin however, Usagi had let out a howl that would have made Akamaru wince. Wild eyed, she had screamed hysterically for her mother to get him _away_ from her, that he was _hurting_ her, that he was _killing_ her. Pulling Neji from the bedside, Hinata had held her daughter until morning and her husband's return.

Sasuke arrived at the waterfall just as the moon reached its highest point in the sky. _The night is half gone_, Sasuke thought to himself, _we have to hurry._ He touched down a few yards from where Naruto sat by the pool at the waterfall's base, a few large boulders blocking his view. Stepping around them, he suddenly found them to be a tremendous blessing. Naruto, as he had previously gathered, was reclining on the bank, his long coat acting almost like a blanket as he leaned back on his elbows, looking out over the water. What he was looking at made Sasuke look tactfully down at his feet. Hinata, standing on the water's surface, was going through the motions of a rather complicated looking technique. However, she seemed to be doing it quite naked.

The moment she saw him Hinata let out a small yelp and, losing all concentration in the face of her embarrassment, sink through the surface of the water with a loud splash. When Hinata finally crawled out of the water, Naruto's coat immediately fell onto her naked form, and she was able to stand up to see her husband on his feet, looking lazily at Sasuke, who was still looking at the ground.

"What's the matter Sasuke?" he asked gruffly, "You look like you just saw something you weren't supposed to."

"Not at all," Sasuke replied, forcing himself to meet his friend's eyes, "what could I have seen?"

Naruto nodded in response as Sasuke stepped forward, holding out a scroll to Naruto while Hinata wrapped the coat tighter around herself, the darkness thankfully hiding the deep blush that stained her cheeks.

Naruto too the scroll from Sasuke and unrolled it. His eyes flicked over the paper. His face turned grave. At last he looked up at his friend.

"You're sure?"

Sasuke nodded. Naruto's eyes shifted a moment, focusing on nothing but speaking volumes about what was going on behind them. At last Naruto nodded in response, and Sasuke turned on his heel and headed off back towards the village.

Naruto turned to Hinata with a strange, almost sad smile. "Hinata-chan," he began softly, forcing himself to meet his beautiful wife's questioning eyes. This woman had been there for him from day one until the end. She had stood by him when he had needed her, given all the help she could, seen him when he'd been invisible. Instead of answering the silent question, he pressed his mouth tenderly onto hers and poured all the love he felt for her into one last deep kiss.

Hinata felt him press the scroll into her hands as he broke the kiss. "Get dressed," he whispered in her ear, "then find Gaara and give this to him."

Hinata nodded, and with that Naruto left.

-Later-

Gaara was reclining on the wall surrounding the Hidden Leaf Village. He and his companion gazed out into the darkness of the forest, not speaking but merely watching, as though waiting for something. The chuunin guards had all cleared out when they'd seen the Kazekage coming, and now it was only the two of them on the wall.

Without turning to the child sitting beside him, legs swung out over the wall and pale eyes looking straight ahead, Gaara spoke.

"Things been quiet since I left?"

Mizu nodded.

"Your parents alright?"

Another nod.

"Temari?"

Nod.

Gaara stared out into the shadows of the forest for another moment before he spoke again.

"Your sister been alright?"

At this Mizu paused, then frowned slightly. He seemed like he was almost confused, not by the question, but more by the answer. At last he nodded slowly.

Gaara took another few moments to look out over the forest.

"You should try to be closer to her," he told the child, "she is your sister, after all. Siblings should be friends."

More silence. Then . . .

"Where's Kazuo-san?" Mizu asked quietly. Mizu hardly ever spoke, in fact Gaara was one of the only three people who had ever heard him speak. The other two were Usagi, on a rare occasion, and Kazuo. Kazuo was one of the closest friends of the Kazekage, and as such he and Mizu were also very close.

Gaara paused a moment. "Injured," he said at last. He didn't tell Mizu that Kazuo had been injured after disappearing for three days, and had turned up outside the village gate looking like he'd been eaten and then spat up. Mizu was only a child, after all, and he needn't concern himself with the recent events that had lead to Kazuo's injuries.

"Gaara-san," came a high, quiet voice from behind them. Gaara turned his head slightly, and Mizu leaped to his feet when he heard his mother's voice.

Hinata stood on the nearest rooftop, her long hair a little wet and a scroll in her hand. "I'll trade you," she smiled shyly in the dark, "a message from my husband, for my son."

A small stream of sand coiled around the scroll and carried it into Gaara's outstretched hand. He opened it and examined its contents carefully, his face as expressionless as ever. Mizu looked up at him expectantly, and after a moment Gaara looked up at the child and nodded before turning his attention back to the scroll.

Mizu stood up and jumped the two or three feet to the rooftop where his mother stood, and a moment later the two of them vanished, leaving the Kazekage alone on the wall.

-Later: Some Time Between Midnight and Dawn-

All three of them could easily see past the genjutsu. It wasn't hard really, all that hid the door were shadows. They flew apart as the Kages approached, revealing the crumbling columns and cracked stone that made up what was left of the entranceway to an old temple. The temple itself was underground, and all three of them hurried down the uneven stairs into the pit of shadows.

No one asked how they knew their way, but despite the fact that none of them had been here before the route was undisputed as they wove their way through the maze of stone hallways, strange markings peering down at them from the walls and the only light the glow from the rasengan Naruto held in his hand, ready for an attack. Some invisible force seemed to draw them onward, as though pulling them towards something. As they drew closer to their destination however, their way was marked by something far more obvious. The stench of blood.

They rounded the last corner and saw the light at the end of the long corridor. They could not afford to hesitate as they moved forward, weapons at the ready.

They saw her as soon as they entered. The cavernous room must have stretched up all the way to the surface. In the exact center, on an alter surrounded by an intricate network of carvings etched into th floor, was a girl no more than sixteen years of age. Her short brown hair was spread out around her head, and the kimono that she wore was draped delicately across the alter. Her eyes appeared to have been gouged out. Some of the stitches on her lips had come undone and the rest were surrounded by blood, suggesting she had been alive when her mouth had beens sewn shut. Every one of her major arteries had been opened, and alter, kimono and surrounding area were all drenched in he blood.

To someone watching from the shadows it did not seem as though a battle started. It seemed as though the three men standing just inside the doorway had simply vanished. But every few seconds two of the forces moving at lightning speed throughout the room would collide with each other, causing the two to slow down a moment so that they could be seen, steel against iron, sand against shadow, pure chakra against pure darkness.

And then Naruto fell out of the air.

Sasuke and Gaara were instantly at his side. The army of unearthly warriors paused, shrouded in shadows, awaiting their opponents' next move, watching them, taunting them. Naruto lay immobile on the floor, Sasuke kneeling beside him, Gaara standing defensively in front of the two of them. Sasuke put his fingers to Naruto's throat and felt for a pulse. Then he froze, unable to move or speak as terror gripped him, a look of shocked disbelief clouding his face. He turned to his remaining companion.

"He's dead."


	8. A Death in the Family

**Chapter 8: A Death in the Family**

It wasn't until late morning that Sasuke and Gaara returned. So it wasn't for some time that anyone knew the First Golden Hokage was dead. When they did arrive there was quite a scene, but as for Naruto, the day began without him. His wife rose to make breakfast, his son wandered off to see Temari and Shikamaru, and his daughter went out for a morning flight.

The first male voice Usagi heard that day was Kiba. "Usagi-chan!" he called as she swooped low over the street. Catching the wind to go higher, she angled the glider and came around again, skidding along the ground for a while as she touched down and stopping only a few feet in front of Akamaru.

"Good morning Uncle Kiba!" she twinkled, grinning up to where he sat astride his massive dog.

"Morning kid," Kiba grinned, showing his oversize teeth, "was just about to head out with Akamaru, wanna come?"

"Sure!" Usagi replied, folding in the gliders wings and coming up to Akamaru's side. Kiba reached down and grabbed the back of her shirt, lifting her up to sit in front of him.

"Hold on," Kiba laughed as Akamaru bounded forward toward the village gate, Usagi screeching with laughter as she bounced up and down on his back. Not, of course, that they got very far.

The people of Konoha were, by now, used to Akamaru's unusual size, but there had been a time when the great white dog would cause quite a commotion. So it wasn't entirely surprising when Kiba winced slightly and dug his heels into Akamaru's sides at the shriek that emanated down the street. Akamaru bounded forward, but almost immediately skidded to a halt as he found his path blocked by Shino.

"Where are you going?" Shino rasped, the usual two or three insects orbiting his head.

Kiba glared at Shino. "What's the big idea?" he growled, "What's all the screaming?"

"That was Tenten," Shino replied in his standard monotone.

As he spoke Tenten herself came running up to them, very out of breath. "Something's . . . something's happening," she panted, clutching at a stitch in her side, "Sasuke and Gaara seem to have returned from somewhere, and now the Village Elders have some kind of announcement!"

"What announcement?" Kiba demanded, looking confused and a bit annoyed.

"I don't know, but they sent for Neji about a half an hour ago." Tenten looked at Usagi, "Have you seen your father today?"

Usagi shook her head. He had not been at breakfast so she assumed he had either gotten up early or slept in.

Tenten straightened and Kiba turned towards the Hokage Tower. "What are we waiting for?" he patted Akamaru's head, "Let's get to the tower boy, and see what all this is about."

-A Short While Later-

Usagi, Kiba, Akamaru, Tenten and Shino joined the crowd of people under the large balcony of the tower. It normally was used to address large groups or the village at large, Naruto and every other Hokage had been initiated there, and today it seemed the Elders were going to announce . . . whatever it was they were going to announce, from it as well.

Usagi stared up at the old, shriveled woman addressing the crowd as she finished what seemed to have been a very long and monotonous speech. "People of Konoha, The Village Hidden in the Leaves," she called out over the crowd, "I present to you the Second Golden Hokage, as named by the First Golden Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, in his will."

Neji Hyuuga stepped froward on the balcony, in full view of the crowd.

"Neji Hyuuga!"

Usagi's heart stopped. She had to be dreaming. This had to be some terrible, horrible nightmare. This couldn't possibly, _possibly_ be real. This couldn't really be happening. This couldn't be real. It _couldn't_.

Kiba had his arms around Usagi's waist before she had even begun to move. "Hold on kid," he stammered, trying to both calm her down and keep his own voice stable, "there must be some mistake. Your dad's not dead, its just . . ."

"Usagi!" Tenten called out as Usagi squirmed out of Kiba's hold and took off.

"Usagi-chan!"

"Usagi wait! Don't rush off before . . ."

"Usagi-chan come back!"

But Usagi didn't hear them. The First Golden Hokage's oldest child and only daughter raced off toward the place where she already knew she would lay her trap. The situation was a clear as day, as though someone had written it before her eyes. She knew what she had to do.

-Another Short While Later-

It seemed an eternity ago that Usagi had waited for her prey in this very spot. She crouched in the shadows, remembering the day, not a week ago, that she had been stalking this very person for a very different purpose. Well, that purpose was over now, and from now on she would never again concern herself with this prey in that respect. He didn't deserve her help.

When Neji came round the corner across from Ichiraku's he wasn't thinking very clearly. No, that was an understatement. Neji wasn't thinking remotely clearly. Only last night he had driven Naruto's oldest child from her late night training session and back to bed. Now, less than twenty-four hours later, Naruto was dead and Neji was Hokage. Neji had not wanted the job, he had not asked for the job, he'd had no reason to believe Naruto was going to give him the job. As far as he could tell he had done nothing to deserve it. He couldn't fathom what he'd done to merit being asked to stand up there on the balcony of his cousin's home and be named the village's leader. He just couldn't understand it. Not for a moment.

So again, the effectiveness of the tripwire was unsurprising.

Neji stumbled forward, barely managing to catch himself before he hit the ground. He whirled around and, cursing, activated his byakugan to scan the surrounding area for his attacker.

"I'm not hiding, Neji-san." Usagi said flatly as she stepped out from the shadows to face him, the end of her glider resting on the ground. "I intend to face you like a true shinobi."

It took a moment for Neji to realize what she was talking about. Then it clicked, and he felt his heart snap almost in two. She blamed him. She had somehow decided Naruto's death was his fault. And she was going to try to avenge her father by killing him.

Neji's brain reeled. First Naruto, now Usagi? Had the whole village gone mad? He stared at the little girl in front of him for a few moments, trying to piece it all together. How could she blame him for this? How could she think he had anything to do with Naruto's death? And how, _how_ had this happened to him?

But Usagi wasn't going to give him time to think it over. Adopting a fighting stance, she channeled her chakra into her glider. "Nine-tails!" she yelled as nine kunai attached to nine strings sailed out of the end of the staff, "Kunai whirlwind!"

Neji leaped into the air to avoid the blades as Usagi rushed forward, the kunai swinging in a great arc and then retracting into the wood before they came back around.

"Usagi!" he cried, finally finding his voice as he landed on the fence. "Little rabbit, what's gotten into you!"

Usagi glared up at him in disbelief. Did he think he could deny it? Did he think she was going to believe, even for a second, that he wasn't responsible for this? Or was he simply surprised that she was going to do something about it? It didn't matter, in the end the outcome was the same. If he thought she wasn't going to avenge her father, he was sorely mistaken.

"You're dead!" she screeched. Another kunai shot out of the side of her glider into her hand, and a second later it was flying at Neji. He leaped off the fence, only to have to dive for the ground as two more kunai were hurled at him.

Neji landed on his feet a few paces away from her. "Usagi, don't do this! I swear, I don't . . ."

"You dirty rotten liar!" she screamed, charging toward him with a kunai held before her.

Neji couldn't help it. It was pure instinct, and there was nothing he could do to stop the reflexive movement. As Usagi ran toward him at full speed, one hand shot out in front of him. It was defensive. He had not meant it as an attack. However, Usagi didn't have time to stop or change course, and she slammed full force into Neji's chakra laden palm and bounced backwards.

And of course at that precise moment Tenten, Shino, Kiba and Akamaru came hurtling around the corner.

Tenten's eyes widened in a mixture of disbelief and horror as she watched Neji slam his palm against Usagi's chest, the basic Gentle Fist move sending her careening backwards.

"Usagi!" Tenten screamed, racing forward to pick Usagi up and cradle the child in her arms. Usagi lay limp in Tenten's grip, not moving or responding. Her eyes were closed.

All four of them stared at Neji.

"What the hell have you done?"

-The Next Day-

Because Usagi was in the hospital, she missed her father's funeral. The entire village gathered beneath the four stone faces, many of them crying. Iruka spoke, and so did Sasuke. It did not rain, but neither did the sun shine. The whole world was just . . . gray.

After the funeral everyone came to see Usagi in the hospital. Hinata and Mizu sat on her bed as all of the aunts and uncles, with of course one exception, came in two or three at a time to see her. They all told her to get better quickly. Choji brought her favorite instant ramen for her, and Ino brought an enormous arrangement of flowers to brighten the room. Lee sat on the bed and sobbed into his sleeve and told her not to let this tragedy dim the light of her youth. Kankuro actually hugged her.

There were two people who weren't actually at the funeral. They watched, of course, but from a distance of some several hundred feet, from a hiding place in the cliff. After the funeral they watched as all of Naruto's siblings filed into the hospital to see his daughter.

"I still can't believe the kid croaked," said the man, and old character with long white hair and an enormous scroll on his back.

The woman beside him, a younger looking blond with an unusually large chest, just shrugged. "I always knew he'd get himself killed one of these days," she said, yawning, "still it is a little strange that he left Neji as Hokage. You would have at least thought Konohamaru, but . . ."

The man shook his head. "For Naruto life was one big joke," he said, "I doubt he could resist getting in one last crack. Or who knows, maybe he always planned it to be this way."

"Didn't Hinata find the will in the pocket of his coat though?" the blond asked, frowning.

"Yeah,"the old man looked pensively out into space, "I guess we'll never know what he was really thinking. Still . . ."

"What is it Jiraiya?" Tsunade turned to him for the first time since they'd begun speaking, curious.

"There is one question that remains to be answered," he told her, still looking fixedly at nothing.

"Which is?" Tsunade demanded, growing impatient.

"The death of a jinchuriki should have caused a massive release of demon chakra, but I didn't sense anything and neither Sasuke nor Gaara said anything of the kind occurred. So if Naruto didn't release the demon chakra when he died . . .

"What has he done with the nine tails?" Shikamaru asked himself quietly, staring out the hospital window.


	9. Sakura chan

**Chapter 9: Sakura-chan**

-That Evening-

The hospital was familiar territory to Sakura. She had spent so much time here it was almost like a second home. And so when she came into Usagi's room to check on her and found Sasuke sitting alone with a dozing Hinata and a sleeping Usagi, she didn't leave. She realized later she probably should have, but this was the hospital. She had home court advantage, and she felt like she was safe.

"Sakura," Sasuke looked up as she entered the room, pausing in the doorway as she realized he was the only conscious person there.

Sasuke stared at her. "What's the matter?" he asked when she didn't sit down, and when she shook her head, he laughed, "I'm not going to bite you, Sakura."

His tone was light and friendly, and for a moment Sakura scolded herself for thinking what she'd thought. Naruto had just died, for goodness sake, and she was worried about her love life. She pulled up a chair and sat down by Usagi's bed, next to Sasuke.

For a while they sat there in silence, Sakura's eyes flicking over the various instruments by the bed, checking to make sure they were working. Sasuke just stared at Usagi pensively. When she was sure everything was working properly, she turned to Sasuke.

He seemed to notice she was looking. He leaned back in his chair, his arms draped lazily over the arms of the chair as he sank back into it. "She really does look just like Naruto," he remarked quietly.

"Yeah," whispered Sakura, so as not to disturb Usagi or Hinata. The dark-haired woman had crawled onto the bed with her daughter, her head resting on one arm coiled around Usagi's head on the pillow, the other drapped across the little girl's stomach.

"She acts like him too," Sasuke continued, looking fixedly at Usagi, "she really is her father's daughter."

"Naruto even taught her the shadow clone jutsu," Sakura told him in agreement, "and I think she even knows the basics of the rasengan."

Sasuke shook his head, but he was smiling. "The rasengan at age six," he muttered, "he's really pushing her."

Sakura shook her head. "She asked. Naruto wasn't going to show it to her until she was older, but she begged him to at least give her a general idea. He told her about the three steps, but he didn't show her much. Still, if she tried she could probably master it on her own."

Sakura looked at Usagi, and there was a slight catch in her voice as she spoke. "She wanted so badly to be like Naruto. In that respect I suppose she takes after her mother."

"In that respect she's similar to us all," Sasuke replied, stretching.

Sakura stood up. "I should get going," she said idly, taking another moment to look sympathetically at Usagi before she turned towards the door, "I need to get home."

"I'll walk you," Sasuke said, standing up as well. His voice was still very light and unconcerned, and it was perhaps his casual tone that did it. Sakura allowed him to walk behind her as she stepped out into the hallway. It was late, and the building was all but deserted.

"It's strange seeing you like this, after all this time," Sakura remarked as Sasuke followed her out into the hall and closed the door behind him. "Everything has changed so much. Things are so different."

"Do they have to be?" Sasuke whispered huskily from behind her. Sakura gasped as she felt his breath on the back of her neck. Before she could react, before she could move or speak, she found her back to the wall, Sasuke's body pinning her in place as he kissed her hungrily. Her hands pushed against his solid chest, but instantly she found them held firmly above her head by one of his. Sakura pressed her lips together and whimpered against his mouth as he held her in place, helpless and completely subjugated to his will.

Sasuke's free hand traced down her throat to cup her breast, then moved to the hem of her shirt and slipped beneath it. She squirmed under his touch as his palm glided over her belly, fingering the hem of her skirt before moving upward to run his finger tips along the under-wire of her bra.

When she refused to allow him into her mouth he instead trailed kisses along her jaw line to her ear. "Sakura-chan," he breathed, fanning her ear with his hot breath.

"Sasuke . . . Sasuke get off me!" Sakura whined, struggling against his hold.

"You didn't say please," he licked at the shell of her ear.

She jerked against his hold, twisting her hands desperately in his grasp.

"Nah-ah," he teased, holding her firmly in place.

"Sasuke please, please stop!" she sobbed. She felt like crying. He held her helplessly in place while his free hand continued to explore the area under her shirt. She knew she wasn't strong enough to overpower him. For all her inhuman strength, he had her trapped.

"Shh, Sakura-chan," he whispered against her ear, bringing his hand up to grip her other wrist as he brought her hands down to press them against the wall at her sides, "shh, its alright. You and I both know you want this. Just let it happen."

Sakura whimpered again. She felt like a trapped animal. God, Sasuke had never been this bold, this demanding before. He'd never attacked her like this, not when he knew she could tell Naruto and he . . . and that's when it hit her. Naruto had been the only person she'd ever known who could defeat Sasuke. And he was dead. Now she knew no one who could beat him. There was no one to protect her.

Sakura went berserk, thrashing wildly, twisting from side to side as she writhed in his hold. No, this couldn't be. She couldn't honestly be defenseless! He couldn't honestly be about to . . .

"Don't fight me, my love," he whispered, pressing his body gently closer to her's and holding her still, "don't fight me. I can give you what you want Sakura-chan. Anything you want."

"I want you to let me go!" she squealed, her struggles giving way to terrified shivers. She couldn't force him off. Her only chance was to get him to release her.

"But you haven't even heard my proposal yet!" he protested, his voice laced with amusement. His body was shifting against her's as he rubbed himself against her, brushing over all her most sensitive places, trying to get her to respond.

"Return to Sound with me, Sakura-chan," he nuzzled her cheek, then drew back a little to press his forehead to her's, his eyes burning into hers. "You would be a Kage's wife, respected, honored, beloved. You would have anything you desired, and everyone would call you Sakura-hime."

Sasuke's hands stroked up her arms to cup her face, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Come with me willingly, and I'll take you away from all of this. From missions and danger, from monsters, from blood, from death and loss."

His face drew closer to her's, until their lips were almost touching. "I can give you everything, Sakura . . ."

He'd thought he had her. He was wrong. Her hands freed, she placed them onto his chest and pushed with all her might. That managed to get him to stumble back and step, and in that second she darted out of his hold, coming around behind to bring both fists down onto the point between his shoulder blades.

With a cry he fell to his knees, one arm braced against the wall to keep him from falling forward. He crouched there a moment, while the dull ache in his back subsided.

When he stood, wincing, she was still there. She had not fled, but was standing a few feet away with her back to him. She appeared to be crying. She whirled around when he approached. For a long moment they just stared at each other.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered. She flinched when he reached for her, but he merely grasped her chin and forced her to meet his eyes again. "Has so much changed, Sakura-chan?" he asked, his eyes full of sadness, "You used to love me, but now you reject me so violently? Is there really no place left for me, in your heart?"

She looked back at him, her eyes misting over with tears. "There is," she choked, "but not the one you'd like."

"Sakura-chan," Sasuke repeated, his eyes full of longing.

"I offered you that place a long time ago, Sasuke," she continued, her voice cracking, "but you rejected me."

"That's a decision I regret every day, now," Sasuke assured her, still not releasing her chin.

"I know," she replied, "but that doesn't change things. You didn't expect me to just wait for you, did you Sasuke? I gave away the piece of my heart that I offered you that night to someone else a long time ago, and he has treated it with the utmost care. I can't imagine my life without Lee anymore, Sasuke. I can't imagine giving you the piece of myself I gave to him."

"I love you, Sakura-chan," Sasuke pleaded.

Sakura couldn't stop herself. At last the tears spilled out of her eyes and let them run down her cheeks. "I love you too, Sasuke," she sobbed, "I love you so much! But not like that! Not they way you'd like! You're my friend Sasuke! And right now I need you to be just that, my friend! Naruto is dead! I need you right now!"

Tears were now streaming down Sakura's cheeks as she spoke, her words coming out in high, breathy gasps. "I need you Sasuke, I need all the friends I can get right now! But so help me I will shut you out if I have to! I don't want to shut you out of my life Sasuke, but I will! And you know I can do it! I'll surround myself with friends and family, and make sure you never get near me! I'll tell everyone what you've done, not just this time but every time you've been here, and they'll believe me, because Lee already knows! If you make me choose, Sasuke, if you make me choose between you and Lee, I'll pick Lee, no matter what! Please don't make me choose Sasuke! Please don't make me choose!"

And with that she crumbled into his arms. He held her close, not trapping her but supporting her, pressing her gently against his chest. She burried her nose in his shirt, breathing in his scent, remembering a time when it had meant safety.

"Of course, Sakura-chan," Sasuke replied softly, kissing the top of her head. "I won't make you choose. I'm here for you. This won't happen again, I promise."

She knew he was lying. He'd told the same lie before, and she knew he was lying. But between Naruto's death and Usagi's injury she was a little too weak, a little too tired and a little too broken to care.


	10. Ghosts and Comfort

**Chapter 10: Ghosts and Comfort**

Without Naruto the bed was cold. Hinata shivered as she pulled the covers tighter around herself, a kind of half sleep keeping her eyes shut but her body moving, trying to find a comfortable, warm place. She had put on her coat over her nightgown, and yet even with this and the covers wrapped around her the loss of Naruto's body heat seemed to have left the bed incurably chilly. Hinata had slept nights in this bed without him before, obviously, the work of a Hokage often dictated a late-nighter or two, but it had never been like this. It was yet another reminder that he was really gone. Somehow, she'd known this would be bad, staying in the hospital with Usagi and delaying her return home, but now she was back. Back at home, back in her bed, back in _his_ bed, the bed she had shared with the only man she'd ever loved. _A widow's bed_, she realized suddenly, and the thought was almost enough to bring fresh tears to her eyes.

She jerked on the covers, trying to wrap them tighter around herself as though to force them to bring her warmth. Instead she only managed to pull the blanket off her lower body, exposing her legs to the chill air. She lay still a minute and just shivered from cold and frustration, her semi-conscious state the only thing that kept her tears from spilling. She couldn't take it. She felt like crying. It was all slowly slipping back to the way it was before Naruto had come into her life, before he'd cared about her, been there for her, taken care of her, even before he'd meant to. With him it was like she could do anything, nothing was too challenging, nothing was too hard. Now she couldn't seem to do anything right. She shivered. How she wanted Naruto to hold her close to him again, caressing her skin with his warm hands, easing the chill.

_"Hinata . . ."_

The voice was barely a whisper, barely audible, barely even there. A comforting creation of her half sleeping brain, Naruto's voice, saying her name with all the love and tenderness he usually put into it.

_"Hinata-chan . . ."_ the voice sounded closer now, and she could almost feel warm breath on her cheek. It eased some of the biting cold, and she sighed a little at the relief.

_"Hinata-chan."_ whispered the voice, stronger now but full of sadness, full of longing and pain. Then she felt them. She merely felt the warmth, but she knew what they were, or were meant to be, her own mind's creations after all. The feel, the heat emanating off two hands as they ghosted, slowly and sensuously, over her bare legs. Every inch of flesh that felt that warm touch, that almost touch, was freed of chill. She felt suddenly warm, sheltered, protected.

_"Hinata . . ."_ whispered Naruto's voice against her ear, _"I love you. Always."_

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata's eyes flew open as she snapped awake, sitting up quickly and activating her byakugan to scan the room. She had felt him. She had heard his voice. She had felt his breath on her cheek and his hands on her legs. And yet as she look out into the night, her eyes seeing all through the tower and well out into the darkened village, there was no one in her sight that could have been the First Golden Hokage. Hinata collapsed back onto the bed and, pressing her pillow into her face, sobbed. She might have cried herself to sleep if it weren't for the noise from Usagi's room.

Hinata bolted out of bed and raced down the hall, sliding and hitting the wall once in her haste. Her heart was pounding as though to escape her chest, all traces of sadness gone as she tried to swallow her panic. Her mind clamped around one thought; _not my daughter, please not my daughter._ Her speed swept the tears from her eyes as she flashed down the hallway and flung open the door to her daughter's bedroom.

"Usagi-chan!"

"Hinata!" Tenten stood abruptly from where she had been kneeling by Usagi's bed, stroking the little girl's hair. She stared at Hinata, her eyes wide in shock for a moment. Hinata stared back as her breathing returned to normal. For a very long moment, nobody said anything. Then Tenten exhaled sharply and suddenly, and a smile crept tentatively over her face. She laughed. Hinata gave a frightened sort of giggle through her nose, then she laughed too. The two of them stared at each other, standing in a child's bedroom at two in the morning less than a week after the death of her father and the first signs that all hell was to break loose on earth, and they laughed. Tenten sank to her knees, he head thrown back as she laughed up at the ceiling. Hinata leaned on the wall, pressing a hand to her mouth to stifle the sound so as not to wake the child. Usagi stirred anyway, opening her eyes and peering at the two women in confusion.

"Wazo funny?" she asked sleepily, which of course only served to make both of them laugh harder.

Tenten rested her head on Usagi's bed, catching her breath and staring with as sort of tired contentment up at the little girl as her hysterics died down. "Nothing, Usagi-chan," she half laughed, half sighed, "just life. Life is funny, in its own way."

Usagi stared at Tenten a moment, then grinned. "Of course it is, Aunt Tenten," she replied, laughing herself now, "after all, what would be the point of life without laughing?"

Hinata sank to the floor, clutching her sides as her whole body shook with laughter. Tenten looked over at her friend, to find tears streaming down the younger woman's face.

"Hinata-chan!" Tenten shouted, darting over to her. Usagi crawled out of bed to stumbled over the cluttered floor to where the weapon's mistress now held her mother, pressing Hinata's head into her chest as the widow sobbed. Laughing and crying, she clung to Tenten as Usagi wormed her way under her mother's arm, the three of them packed tightly together, holding each other close against the cold night air.

"I hope we're not interrupting something," said a voice from the window. Tenten and Hinata looked up, to find Temari standing on the sill, Shikamaru beside her, their son cradled in his arms.

Hinata shook her head, smiling. Temari gave her strange and frightening grin and jumped down into the bedroom. "Come here kid," she called, opening her arms and bending down as Usagi stood up and ran into her tight hug. Temari lifted the girl up and, balancing her on one hip, walked over to where Hinata and Tenten were getting shakily to their feet.

"What are you doing here?" Hinata asked tentatively, looking at Temari with lost eyes.

"Well, mine doesn't settle down nearly as well as yours," Temari laughed.

"Little guy's not sleeping through the night yet?" Tenten asked.

"No, I mean this one," Temari gestured at her husband, who glared at her from behind.

Tenten took the child from Shikamaru, who instantly went to hover over Temari, who, for her part, ignored him.

"How you feeling kid?" she asked, still grinning.

"Better," Usagi shrugged.

"You gave us all a scare, you know," Shikamaru told her, lifting her out of Temari's arms, "attacking Jonin level shinobi when you haven't even entered the academy yet is definitely not a good move."

Usagi glared at him. She still couldn't believe not even Shikamaru could understand her motives for confronting Neji. An ambitious clan head hanging around the Hokage's family, then suddenly the Hokage is dead, naming said clan head his successor? Were they blind? Couldn't they see that Neji'd had something to do with her father's death? It was all too obvious to her, and she'd give up her glider before letting that traitor get away with murder.

There was a small clatter from the kitchen area, and all five of them turned towards the door as they heard footsteps down the hall. Shikamaru tensed and Tenten pulled a kunai from nowhere, but a moment later Ino poked her head around the door frame, smiling apologetically.

"Sorry!" she twinkled.

"Ino!" Hinata gasped, "what . . . why are you . . ."

"Choji thought you might like a nice breakfast on your first morning back home," Ino explained.

"Then why are you here in the middle of the night?" Tenten asked, staring wide-eyed at Ino as though she were crazy.

Ino grimaced. "Choji said he needed time to cook!" she complained, tossing a death glare over her shoulder in the direction of the kitchen.

Hinata stepped tentatively forward, then rushed to catch Ino in a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered as Ino, very surprised, wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The blond haired kunoichi looked down at Hinata in confusion for a moment, then grinned. "No problem, Hinata-chan," she smiled, patting Hinata's head, "By the way, you do know Gaara's in Mizu's room, right?"

And so the night went on like that. They all filed into the living room to find Kiba trying to maneuver in Akamaru as Shino came through the window. Lee and Sakura had shown up after a while, and not too far behind them had been Sasuke. Kankuro had come with Gaara, the two of them coaxing Mizu out to join the party blossoming amongst Naruto's collection of family pictures. Because it was a party. Choji had managed to fill the kitchen with all kinds of good things to eat given the minimal amount of food, besides ramen, that was kept in the house. From a radio somewhere soft music was playing, and a bottle of sake had been broken out. People were draped across couches, sitting on the arms of chairs and in each other's laps, talking and laughing. Lee and Sakura were dancing, swaying slightly to the slow music as they held each other close.

And the stories. There was an endless supply of stories being tossed about the room, with Mizu and Usagi sitting on the floor with the Nara clan's youngest member, listening intently as they were recounted all the things their father was remembered for. Temari told about how Naruto had become the first person to ever defeat Gaara. Kiba remembered the time Naruto had been mistaken for a member of the Inuzuka clan, seeing as he was such a "wild thing" like the family of dog-handlers. Tenten spun the tale of how Naruto and Lee had defeated one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist with the help of the Curry of Life. Even Sasuke had a story to tell, recalling how the deep gash had been made in his first forehead protector during his first real fight with Naruto.

Shikamaru had shied away from the congregation, choosing instead to sit on the window sill, gazing out into the night, and after her story and a few drinks from the sake bottle, Temari wandered over to sit beside him.

"What'sa matter, Shika-kun?" she purred, crawling into his arms, leaning into his chest and rubbing herself against him, "you too lazy to have fun?"

Shikamaru didn't reply right away, just absentmindedly stroked her hair, still looking out the window at nothing in particular. Temari frowned up at her husband. She reached up and stroked her fingers along his neck, and when he still didn't respond she dug her nails into the soft flesh. Shikamaru winced and glared down at her.

"Tell me what's wrong," Temari said, suddenly more serious. It wasn't a question or a request. He sighed.

"Something's still bothering me about this," he told her simply.

"About what?" she asked, frowning, "the party?"

"No," Shikamaru turned his gaze pensively out the window again, "about the nine-tails. All that energy was locked inside Naruto's living body. The fox protected him when he was alive because that was the only way to keep itself alive, but that much chakra doesn't just disappear. When he died it all should have flooded out, but Sasuke said nothing of the kind happened. So where did it all go?"

"Maybe he stashed it somewhere," Temari suggested, tracing light patterns on Shikamaru's chest.

Shikamaru snorted. "He couldn't have stored it in an object, if that could be done there would be no need for jinchuuriki. If he was going to get rid of it, he would have had to put it in someone."

Temari just shrugged and leaned her head against his chest, blinking sleepily. Shikamaru, however, couldn't stop his eyes from wandering appraisingly over his gathered group of friends. People he'd known his whole life, his friends, his comrades, his teammates. His wife and son. And especially the two children sitting wide eyed on the floor, listening to stories of the very man who seemed to have made the nine-tails disappear.


	11. Blast from the Past

**Chapter 11: Blast from the Past**

-That Night, A Short While Before Dawn-

In the small hours before dawn the party at last began to wind down. The food was all gone, the sake bottle was empty, and Usagi and Mizu had finally crashed, Usagi stretched out on Kiba and Tenten's laps, Mizu leaning on one of Gaara's legs. Hinata tucked the little one's into bed and, Temari picking up her own sleeping child, the rest of the group began to file out. Kankuro, a little drunk, almost tripped over the table, and Kiba pulled Hinata into a tight hug before leaving, but at last they were all gone and Hinata was able to return to her, now oddly warm, bed for a few stolen hours of sleep before the day began.

At the base of the tower they all began to go their separate ways. Shikamaru and Temari set off towards home, Tenten wandered idly in the general direction of the Hyuuga compound, and Lee helping a very tired looking Sakura onto his back so he could carry her back to their own warm bed. Kiba and Shino each took off toward their respective clan compounds, and Sasuke drifted after Sakura and Lee a few paces before abruptly changing direction to follow Gaara and Kankuro back to the diplomats' quarters.

Ino hadn't been walking for two minutes when she felt Choji fall into step beside her. She looked up, expecting to see him holding out something she'd forgotten, but instead he was just walking quietly next to her, as though this were the most natural thing in the world.

"Choji-kun, what . . . what are you doing? Your place is back that way, isn't it?" Ino asked, jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

Choji nodded. "It is."

"Then what are you . . ." Ino trailed off, looking up at him in confusion.

He glanced down at her. "I'm walking you home," he told her quietly.

Ino's heart skipped a beat. "Why?" she blurted, then caught herself, "I mean, this wasn't a date or . . . or anything."

Choji shrugged. "We came together," he pointed out.

"Yeah, but as friends," Ino protested, a bit halfheartedly.

Choji looked back at her, studying her for a moment. "I know," he said after a moment, "but we still came together. Its just good manners for me to walk you home."

"Oh," Ino breathed quietly. For a few minutes an awkward silence reigned as they walked. Choji glanced down at her once, only to see her eyes focused ahead of her and quickly look away. Of course he missed the eight or so times she glanced up at him.

"Choji-kun?" she whispered, after walking in silence had finally begun to make her twitch a little.

"Yeah?" he asked, still not looking at her.

"What do you think of when you see Shikamaru and Temari together?"

This time it was Choji's turn to miss a heartbeat. What on earth could she possibly mean by _that_? He looked down at her quickly, only to see her not looking at him and quickly fix his eyes ahead of him again. "I think . . ." he began, swallowing hard, "I think I'm happy that my best friend found such a great girl and has such a great family." There, that was ambiguous enough, wasn't it?

"You're happy that he's happy," Ino finished for him quietly, "that's nice."

"Yeah, I guess," Choji conceded, still wondering what on earth she could be playing at.

"I guess I'm kind of sad, when I look at them," she confessed quietly.

"Why?" Choji asked in alarm, forgetting to keep his eyes front and looking down at her in confusion.

"Well," Ino looked at her feet, frowning, "I'm as old as Temari was when she got married. And then Sakura and Hinata are both my age, and their married too. I guess I just feel . . . I don't know, like I'm not as good as the others, because I don't have a husband. Hell, I don't even have a boyfriend! I've never had one, aside from . . ." she trailed off, going slightly red in the face.

"Ino-chan, don't say things like that!" Choji admonished, looking at her sharply. "You can't possibly think you're not as good as the others, just because you're not married yet! You're every bit as good as them! Better!"

"You . . . you think so?" Ino asked, looking up at him, her eyes wide and her face slightly redder. "Even . . . even though I haven't really been sticking to my diet all the time, lately?"

"I never would have known if you hadn't told me!"Choji assured her, looking down at her with something like longing in his eyes. "Ino-chan, don't you know you're beautiful?"

Ino let out something like a squeak and looked back down at her feet, while it seemed to dawn on Choji what he'd just said and he quickly looked straight again. Thankfully it was right then that they reached their destination.

"Thanks, for walking me," Ino said quietly, not looking at him.

"You're welcome," Choji replied, also not looking at her.

"And . . . thanks for what you said. No guy has ever actually told me I'm pretty before."

Choji finally got the courage to look at Ino . . . just as she bounced up on her toes and placed a very light kiss on his cheek. He stood their, dumbstruck, as she disappeared, blushing, behind the solid front door. He held his cheek and stood their for a good minute before finally turning to go.

-Meanwhile-

Tenten wasn't entirely sure where she was going. She knew somewhere in the back of her mind that this wasn't the way to her apartment, and yet she just couldn't bring herself to change direction. Her feet simply carried her toward an unknown destination.

She felt him before she saw him. For the longest time she'd had the strangest ability to sense his presence. She supposed it had really started when . . . well, a while ago. After they'd . . . parted ways, the first time.

He was standing quite in the middle of the street, halfway between the Hyuuga compound and the the Hokage Tower. Tenten supposed it was almost metaphorical, seeing as he was halfway between being the Hyuuga clan leader, and being the Second Golden Hokage. She almost called out 'Neji-san!'when he came into view, but caught herself at the last minute. "Hokage-sama," she said, once she'd gotten a little closer.

For a moment he didn't respond, just looked at her when she stopped next to him. Then he blinked a few times and glanced over his shoulder, before realizing she was talking to him. "Oh," he shook himself, "I'm sorry, what?"

Tenten giggled. "You're going to have to get used to people calling you that, you know," she told him.

Neji just sighed, shutting his eyes and bowing his head a moment as though in exhaustion. "I would prefer it if you didn't."

Tenten looked up at him in shock. When she didn't reply he looked back at her, confused. "What?" he asked, almost defensively.

Tenten shook her head. "Nothing," she told him quickly, "it's just . . . well what should I call you, now?"

Neji frowned. "You don't have to call me 'Hokage-sama'!" he snapped, "Just call me 'Neji-kun', like you used to! I haven't changed."

"Alright," Tenten agree quietly, deciding not to point out that she hadn't called him 'Neji-kun' in almost seven years, not since, well, a long time ago. She giggled.

"What is it?" he asked warily as she laughed.

"Nothing," she smirked, "its just that . . ."

"What!" he demanded.

"Well, its just that Naruto always hated being called 'Hokage-sama' too," Tenten reminded him gently.

Neji snorted. "So that means we're the same?" he asked, still looking sour.

Tenten shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted, "but I guess . . . I guess he named you Second Golden Hokage for a reason, Hokage-sa, I mean, Neji-kun."

Neji looked down again. "I'm nothing like Naruto," he told her quietly. Tenten remembered a time in their lives, a very long time ago, when that might have been a compliment. Now it seemed almost like the ultimate strike against his character.

Tenten drew closer to him. Slowly, carefully, she slipped her hand into his. He stared down at the hand that now held hers in shock for a moment, then looked up at her. She smiled brightly. "You're more like Naruto than you think, Neji-kun," she told him, "I know you'll be an excellent Hokage."

Neji stared at her for a moment, blinking. Then a small smile spread over his face, and he closed his eyes almost serenely. "Thank you, Tenten-chan."

-Meanwhile-

Sakura was asleep by the time they got home. Lee carried her gingerly up the stair and laid her on the bed. He unbuttoned her medic's top all the way before carefully easing it off her, and slipped a nightgown over her head before slowly sliding her legs out of her skirt.

He sat on the bed for a moment before getting undressed himself. He watched her, his beautiful Sakura-chan, sleeping peacefully on their bed. He sometimes found it hard to believe he'd actually married such a perfect woman. He stroked his cherry blossom's hair, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead before moving to take off his vest and jumpsuit.

Once he was clad only in his boxers, he crawled into bed beside her. Again he was still a moment, just watching her as she slept. Leaning over, he brushed his lips against hers tenderly. "Goodnight, my Sakura-chan," he whispered. Then he moved lower, until he was hovering over her belly. He kissed her stomach, nuzzling the soft skin before whispering quietly, "And goodnight to you too, my little one."

-Meanwhile-

The darkness was coming alive. All over the village the shadows lengthened, stretched, and one by one broke off from the objects that cast them and fluttered away. They flitted over the village, taking the shapes of tiny creatures; squirrels, birds, butterflies. Each one left in its wake a trail of dark smoke, the stench of blood lingering in the air behind them for just a moment. They whispered like the wind, forming words on tongues of darkness that sounded like tricks of the ears.

"Hatred of the father, hatred of the son."

"No love to be had amongst the family, no love to be had anywhere."

"Fade into the abyss little one, for you are bound to oblivion by the chains of fate."

Each one laughed as it spoke, tiny, mocking cackles drifting over the sleeping houses and falling on sleeping ears as the tiny beasts drifted away on the wind.

Kakashi watched all of this out of the window of a small, two bedroom house on the edge of town. His one visible eye narrowed as he saw the great congregation of dark creatures all flitter off as one, over the wall and out of the village in the same direction the First Golden Hokage had left in just a few nights before.

There was a small noise from the bed behind him as a tall, slim woman with very straight, very long brown hair stretched and blinked her large blue eyes at him. She rested her head back on the pillow and just stared at him for a moment.

"What's the matter, love?" Ayura asked, as he watched the last of the little monsters disappear from view, "what are you looking at?"

"Something I never thought I'd have to see again," he replied quietly. Ayura stared at him pensively for another moment, waiting. When it became apparent that he was not coming back to bed she wrapped a sheet around herself and stepped daintily onto the hard floor. She padded silently across the room to the window and, tying the ends of the sheet together so they would stay wrapped around her, she came to stand beside him and reached up to cup his cheek. Pulling him down to her, she lifted his forehead protector off his sharingan eye and gently kissed the scar that ran straight down it.

"Please tell me what's wrong," she whispered when he pulled back.

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled down at her. "It's nothing. You don't need to worry about a thing."

"Promise?" she asked, looking up at him worriedly.

"I promise," he said, after a split second's hesitation, leaning down to place a kiss on her forehead.

She pulled away from him, shaking her head. "You never could lie to me," she told him, turning away.

He caught her about the waist before she reached the bed, pulling her back against his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered against her hair, "but I don't want you to worry. There's nothing for you to be afraid of. I won't let anything happen to you."

She turned abruptly in his arms and grasped the front of his shirt. "I'm more worried about something happening to you," choked into the soft fabric.

"Then you really don't need to worry," he told her seriously, turning his head to look out the window once more. "My generation ceased to be the ones to deal with this a long time ago. Now the most I can hope for is to be able to offer a little good advice to someone who needs it."


	12. Something You Need to Know

**Chapter 12: Something You Need to Know**

Despite the late night Usagi woke the next morning feeling awake, alert and full of energy. And more than a little curious. The few hours of sleep she'd salvaged had been filled with the most amazing dreams. She'd dreamed of her father, at twelve years old, facing off against a hundred foot sand monster. She'd envisioned him dodging the lightning shot from the blade of one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. She'd _seen_ him encased in an aura of red chakra, soaring across the Valley of the End towards the great, gray, winged _thing _that had only moments ago been Sasuke Uchiha, the rasengan swirling furiously in his outstretched hand. She had heard so many great things about her father, had seen them in her dreams. And now she wanted to know more. She wanted to know just how such a great man had died. And she was going to find out.

Unfortunately that was easier said than done, especially without the help of someone who also knew who Naruto's killer was, as she did, and such people were hard to find. Sasuke didn't believe her. Shikamaru didn't believe her. Not even Tenten, Kiba or Shino, who'd all been there to see what he'd done to her, believed that Neji had killed Naruto. The truth was as plain as day to her, the evidence was all right there in front of her, after all, but she seemed to be the only one brave enough to face facts. Still, very few people had believed her father when he'd been right as a child, she told herself as she glided over the rooftops towards her destination. He'd hardly ever been believed, especially when he was right, and so he'd simply had to prove it to people. And that was just what she was going to do.

There was really only one more person she could go to for help. She didn't expect him to actually _be_ a lot of help, but it was really the only starting point she had. There was one person, or rather, two people, who she could always trust to tell her what was really going on. Most of the Aunts and Uncles made it a point not to keep secrets from her, secrecy had breed nothing but trouble in the past. However, on the rare occasion someone decided it was best for her not to know something, she could generally count on Ayura to trust her with the truth. Or rather, to get Kakashi to trust her with the truth.

Usagi angled the glider to take her a bit higher into the air as she soared above the village on the way to its edge, savoring the weightless feeling and the cool rush of wind against her face. Flying was the ultimate freedom, and she savored the experience despite her destination. It wasn't that she didn't like seeing Kakashi and Ayura, they were both always terrifically nice to her, but sometimes when they answered the door she had the strangest feeling she was interrupting something she would really rather not think about.

Today was not one such day. Usagi swooped over the house to find Ayura on the roof, standing straight, barefoot with her toes griping the edge, her head tilted back to look at the sky and one hand shading her eyes. Usagi wasn't surprised. Ayura hardly ever wore shoes, except a heavy pair of boots she reserved for going on long trips outside the village, which she hardly ever did.

"Good morning, Usagi-chan!" she called, leaping lightly down from the roof to land balanced on one toe in the front yard. She stood like that, only the big toe of one foot touching the ground, the sole of her other foot pressed against her ankle, and looked up at the sky for a minute longer. When it became apparent that whatever she was looking for was not there she sighed and relaxed down onto both feet again.

"Good morning Ayura-sensei!" Usagi called as she landed, skidding to a stop a few feet in front of the dark haired woman. Ayura was dressed, as usual, in a tight top and long flowing skirt, covered by an apron. She looked perfectly house-holdy, with the obvious exception of the short, custom blade sheathed at her hip.

Ayura pulled a face. "Don't call me that!" she snapped, "I'm not your teacher! And anyway, it makes me sound old."

"I think it makes you sound wise!" Usagi chirped, tilting her head to the side and smiling brightly.

Ayura ruffled her hair affectionately. "Yeah, old and wise," she grumbled, heading back to the house, "What brings you here, Usagi-chan?"

"What were you looking at?" Usagi asked, glancing up at the sky as though to check for interesting activity.

"Watching for the Signs," Ayura said solemnly as she opened the door and stepped aside as Usagi went in, then stepping daintily into the house after the child and shutting the door behind her. "Kakashi's been acting a bit strange lately. There's something worrying him, but damn him he won't tell me what's wrong! Maybe its got something to do with Naruto . . ."

Ayura continued musing in this way, half to herself, as she put the tea kettle on and shooed Usagi into the living room. A few minutes later she came in herself, carrying two steaming cups of instant ramen and still muttering incoherently about Signs. Ayura was always looking for Signs. Signs, she said, were the universe's way of telling people what it wanted them to do. The more oblivious the person, or the more important the event, the more obvious the Sign would be, and since she was a very observant person she often had to look very closely. And Ayura always followed the Signs.

Usagi, inhaling the piping hot ramen as Ayura continued to mutter idly to herself, blowing on hers absently ever few minutes, let her mind wander back to a story Ayura had told her almost a year ago, in an attempt to explain the Signs. Ayura's parents had met and fallen in love on a very small island popular with vacationers. They had been lying on a beach the night they met and suddenly Ayura's mother had crawled on top of her companion and given him a long and passionate kiss. The moment their lips met, every bell on the island had gone off at once. The two young lovers had been married within the year, and had been together ever since. And so Ayura, knowing she would receive a similar sign when she found her own true love, had hesitated the first time Kakashi had ever asked her out. Then, at that precise moment, someone in every shop on the street exited, all at once, and the tinkling of the shop bells could be heard up and down the street. As several people simply laughed at the pleasant noise, Ayura had answered Kakashi's question by leaning forward and giving him a heated, lingering kiss. They were married within the year and they'd been together ever since.

"What are you girls up to in here?" Kakashi poked his head in from the study, his eyes crinkled in a grin behind his mask. Behind him Usagi could see the desk in the study was laid out with exactly one thing; Jiraiya's latest Icha Icha manuscript. Ever since Kakashi had retired from ninja work he'd taken up the job as Jiraiya's editor, a job he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying.

"Good morning, Kakashi-sensei!" Usagi smiled brightly from where she was perched on the sofa. Ayura had settled herself in the large armchair, but stood up when Kakashi entered, not looking at him but instead beginning to pace.

"Is there something wrong, Ayura-sensei?" Usagi asked as Ayura continued her pacing, still muttering and seeming totally oblivious to the presence of the other two people in the room.

Kakashi hung his head, sighing deeply. "She's been like this all morning," Kakashi told her resignedly, coming to sit beside the little girl as they both watched Ayura continue to pace, "She's waiting for a Sign, and you know how she can get when she thinks an important one's coming. I hope you didn't come here to speak with her, Usagi-chan."

Usagi shook her head. "Actually I came her to talk to you, Kakashi-sensei."

He turned to her. "Oh?"

Usagi had never been one for beating around the bush, still this was a rather important question. She thought for a moment, wondering how best to phrase it, then finally settled on her usual direct approach.

"How did my father die?"

That caused an abrupt halt to all activity in the room. Ayura stopped her pacing and was instantly kneeling beside the couch. Kakashi's head, which had been following Ayura's pacing, snapped around to stare, wide-eyed, at Usagi.

Suddenly Kakashi's eyes crinkled in a smile. "What would bring on a question like that, little one?"

Usagi shrugged. "Well, everything is changing now that he's gone, but no one seems to want to tell me how it happened. I mean, I _know_, but I just wanted to see what everyone else _thought_ happened."

Ayura reached out and toyed with the ends of her hair. "Does this have something to do with why you attacked Neji, Usagi-chan?"

"Yes." Usagi said firmly, "I know he had something to do with my father's death. No one else will believe me, but I know. If no one thinks it was Neji, then I'd like to know what they think did happen."

Ayura looked up at Kakashi. He didn't seem to notice however, he was staring off into space as though lost in thought. They both knew better than to interrupt him though, he had that same look in his one visible eye that could be seen when he was staring at the names of his former squad.

At last he looked back at the little girl. Staring at her intently, as though trying to read something on her face, he spoke, haltingly as though he were choosing his words carefully.

"Has no one told you . . . anything . . . about Naruto . . . about Naruto's past, Usagi-chan?"

"Of course," Usagi replied, a little confused, "just last night everyone came to the tower and told a whole bunch of stories. Aunt Temari talked about how he beat Uncle Gaara, and . . ."

Kakashi however cut her off, shaking his head, then fixing her with a hard, calculating stare. "No you misunderstand. Has no one ever told you about the Golden Army?"

Now Usagi was really confused. "Of course," she told him a little slower, eying him warily, "My mother used to tell me that story every night."

Kakashi couldn't have made his scrutiny of her any more intense if he'd pulled down his mask and revealed his sharingan. He was leaning forward a little now, and Usagi got the strangest sensation that his one visible eye was literally trying to pry some long forgotten memory from the deep recesses of her brain.

"Yes, Usagi-chan, but do you know who the people in that story _are_?" he all but demanded, grasping her shoulders lightly.

"No . . ." Usagi answered shakily. She had never thought she would be afraid of Kakashi, but . . .

"Stop it!"Ayura's palm suddenly made sharp contact with the back of Kakashi's head, which snapped back around to look at her. "Can't you see you're scaring her!"

Kakashi looked back at Usagi for a moment, perplexed, then he gave her his crinkly-eyed smile again. "I'm sorry, Usagi-chan," he said, a little more lightly, "but this is very important. There is something you must know, and I'm surprised no one has told you about it yet. Now that your father is dead, certain things are coming to light, and other things are returning from the shadows. You need to be prepared for what's to come."

"What! What exactly is to come! What's going on anyway!" Usagi demanded. Her head was spinning. She couldn't quite grasp what Kakashi was implying, it all seemed too incredibly impossible. Then again, this was her father, Naruto Uzumaki, the First Golden Hokage. Anything was possible.

"What haven't you been saying?" Ayura spoke up quietly, making Kakashi glance at her. Her voice was far softer but no less demanding, and the glare she fixed Kakashi with could have cut. He looked away, back at Usagi.

"Usagi-chan," Kakashi said slowly, "you're father was a great man. You, you have no idea how great a man he was, little one."

"What are you saying?" Usagi wanted to demand it, but it came out as a rather shaky question. Her eyes searched Kakashi's masked face.

"Usagi-chan, Naruto Uzumaki, your father, was the Leader of the Golden Army. Usagi, he was the Golden General."


	13. The Golden Years

**Chapter 13: The Golden Years**

"Kakashi had no right!" yelled Kiba, so loudly they were all sure he could be heard throughout the village. They were all there, all fourteen of them, even Neji, plus Usagi and Mizu. Usagi was not at all happy that Neji was in the house, but after being reminded for the third time that it was now technically his house too she had resigned herself to sitting next to her mother, as far away from him as possible, and pouting.

"The reality of it is that Kakashi told a secret," Shikamaru piped up from his position in one of the large armchairs, his son in his lap and Temari sitting on the arm of the chair, "It's out, Usagi knows now. There's nothing we can do about it."

"We can beat the stuffing out of the old rat!" Kiba suggested savagely.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "And what will that accomplish exactly?"

"Nothing," Kiba snarled, "but it will make me feel better!"

"Kiba, calm down," Shino droned. Kiba ignored him, until Hinata put a hand on his arm. He looked down into her concerned face for a moment, then collapsed on the sofa beside her, heavily deflated.

"Well now that I _do_ know, would someone please explain to me what this all means!" Usagi piped up angrily from where she was tucked under her mother's arm. The novelty of being on a first name basis with every single member of the legendary Golden Army had worn off remarkably quickly, and now Usagi was anxious to find out just what the hell was going on.

"It's complicated, Usagi-chan," Tenten muttered, reaching over the back of the sofa to pet her hair affectionately.

"You sound like Kakashi," Usagi grumbled. It was strange to think that her very own Aunt Tenten was in fact the famous weapons mistress of the Golden Army. That didn't stop her from sounding like a broken record. 'It's complicated' seemed to be all she'd heard on the subject since she'd gotten home.

"I suppose this is really for the best," Sasuke interjected lazily from where he was leaning against the wall, "we needed to have this meeting anyway, considering what's been going on lately. We really should have had it last night, but it would have been in poor taste, I suppose. We can't ignore the situation any longer, however. We ought to discuss reforming the Army."

"We are _not_ reforming the Army!" Sakura said flatly, as though that settled the matter.

"I agree with Sakura-san, we should not be rash!" Lee proclaimed.

"We can't ignore what's been going on, Sakura-san," Gaara told her quietly from where he was seated in the armchair across from Shikamaru. Kankuro was leaning against the back of the chair, and Mizu was seated on the floor by Gaara's feet.

"And what exactly _has _been going on!" Usagi practically screamed, struggling in vain against her mother's protective hold to try and stand up.

"That's what I'd like to know," Ino chimed in, glaring from Sasuke to Gaara, "You two know something you haven't been telling the rest of us, now out with it!"

Sasuke and Gaara looked at each other. Suddenly Sasuke glanced left and right, as though looking for something, then suddenly a look of mild confusion crossed his face, and he looked at the floor, signaling Gaara to explain. That had been the first time he'd cast around for Naruto, only to find that his dead friend wasn't there. It was rather unsettling.

"We've been receiving some rather disturbing reports," Gaara rasped, staring calmly ahead and pretending not to notice that Mizu had edge a little closer to him as though in fear. "Strange creatures have been sighted throughout the Region of Wind and the Region of Rice Paddies. I doubt you've seen any in Fire yet, or all of you would have heard about them."

"Strange creatures?" Lee asked, a flash of recognition on his face.

"Darks," Sasuke croaked in clarification, still looking at the floor.

"They seem to be slithering around everywhere," Gaara continued, nodding to Sasuke, "that, in fact, was how the General died."

"What!" Usagi demanded, again trying to struggle to her feet. Hinata just wrapped her other arm around the child, pulling her daughter onto her lap and stroking her hair almost roughly. Usagi had the distinct feeling that this was more to make her mother feel better, as Hinata's hand jerked through her windswept hair.

"We went to one of the old temples to see if there had been any activity lately." Gaara informed the congregation, ignoring Usagi's outburst.

"And?" Choji asked hesitantly.

Gaara looked from one face to the other as they all awaited his reply with bated breath. "There had."

"We found a sacrifice," Sasuke picked up the story. "The place was crawling with Harbingers too. We fought, and unfortunately . . ."

"Unfortunately what!" Tenten demanded suddenly. They all turned to stare at her as she paced back and forth behind the couch, glaring almost angrily around the room. "Naruto's face, what, thousands of Harbingers before? How the hell did he die fighting just a few of them!"

"One got in a lucky shot," Sasuke shook his head resignedly, "I suppose we'll never really know exactly what . . ."

"Bullshit!" Tenten screamed, "Harbingers don't get lucky shots! _We_ get lucky shots! We're the good guys! That's how it works! They have all the power and we have all the luck!"

"Not all the power," Choji piped up, "we have the Nine-tails."

"_Had,_ the Nine-tails," Kiba corrected dejectedly, "Naruto's dead, remember."

"Shut up, you idiot!" Ino slapped the back of his head sharply.

"Hey!" Kiba snarled, turning around in his seat to glare at her.

"QUIET!" yelled Sasuke. The whole congregation, even the children, all turned to look at him as he glared out over the room. He fixed each one with a hard stare, then spoke.

"Has any one of you bothered to consider the rather obvious problem here?"

"We have a bunch of Darks and Harbingers running around we thought we were done with almost a decade ago?" Ino ventured sarcastically, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring at Sasuke from her position next to Choji, who had pulled in a chair from the dining room.

"We have no Golden General," Sasuke said quietly.

If the whole room had not been silent before, it was now. All the members of the Golden Army stared blankly off into space, realization dawning on one after the other. Naruto was dead. The Golden General was dead. The Golden Army had no General. They had no leader.

"Sasuke-san," Shikamaru piped up after a very long silence, "you were always Naruto's second in command."

"He named Neji Second Golden Hokage," Tenten piped up, though there was no real conviction in her voice and she continued to stare at the bottom of the sofa.

"Only because Sasuke is the Kage of another village," Choji pointed out reasonably.

"No, Shikamaru's right, Tenten-chan," Neji told her quietly, not looking at her but shaking his head, still with a blank look on his face, "Sasuke should be the new Golden General. Naruto would want it that way."

Usagi looked from one dejected looking family member to another. "Now will someone please tell me what's going on?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes and rubbed his temples for a moment. Handing his son to Temari he leaned forward, propping himself up with forearms on his thighs and looking fixedly at Usagi. "Sure kid," he sighed, "I know this must be a bit much for you to take in. Wha'cha wanna know?"

"First off," Usagi started, finally escaping her mother's hold and copying Shikamaru's stance, "what's a dark and what's a Harbinger?"

Shikamaru chuckled. "Those are the easy questions," he told her, "Darks are creatures of pure darkness. They're made of shadows, animated by fear, hate and other negative human emotions, as well as a healthy dose of chakra from a highly forbidden jutsu."

"And Harbingers?" Usagi pressed, apparently unphased.

"Reanimated corpses," Shikamaru continued, never breaking eye contact with the child, "risen from the grave to serve the Nightmare."

"What's the nightmare?" Usagi asked coolly.

Shikamaru's lips twitched. "Your _worst_ nightmare," he told her, "literally. Its a kind of demon created from the nightmares of humans. Its also animated darkness, and the Darks are the ones who create it by bringing it nightmares they take from the humans who's negative emotions animate them. The Nightmare has immense power, but that's because it draws its chakra from the earth, like a sage. That's only after its fed off enough of the nightmares the Darks bring it though."

"So who, or what, animates the Darks?" Usagi asked.

"Well thats the million dollar question, isn't it?" Kiba snorted.

Usagi looked around, taking her attention off Shikamaru for the first time since their conversation began. "You mean you don't know?" she asked incredulously.

"Last time it was invaders from outside the continent," Kankuro explained, "They came in and tried to defeat us from the inside out. But this time we know its not another outside attack, because we've been keeping a close eye on the border."

"So then who would do this?" Ino asked, frowning.

"Who _could_ do this?" Kiba added.

"Yeah its not like a lot of people have the power," Choji mused, his brow furrowed.

"Do we even know where their base is located?" Lee inquired.

"It wouldn't be hard to find," Sasuke pointed out, "all we'd have to do is follow the Darks, and they're bound to start popping up everywhere."

"Why bother finding them?" Shikamaru asked, "when we already know where they're going to attack?"

They all turned to look at him, and he stared from one to the other. "We were the last ones to defeat the Nightmare. Who ever's summoned it this time, they'll be coming after us."

"But they have no idea who or where we are," Kiba pointed out, "we made sure to keep ourselves a secret. One I wish we hadn't told out teachers," he added bitterly, "but still, no one else knows where or who we are. How would they come after us?"

"Think!" Shikamaru snapped, "what's the one place everyone in Japan everyone associates with the Golden Army!"

Usagi suddenly leaped up, staring into space in horror. "The Golden Academy!" she cried, her mouth falling open and her eyes bugging out, "It, they, are going to the Golden Academy!"

Silence reigned for a moment as each person there took in the truth of Usagi's words. The school named after their family. The pride of the great nation they'd helped to build. The symbol of peace and cooperation that had been inspired by their own teamwork. The Golden Academy . . . in terrible, terrible danger.

"I need some air," Usagi announced suddenly. Every head turned a few hands reached out to her as she fled the room. It was too much, too much too soon too fast, and she couldn't take it. She had to get out. Darting to her bedroom and crawling out the window, she clambered up onto the roof and collapsed, sobbing, on the hard, cold surface.

Back in the living room, everyone stared at each other.

"I'll go and talk to her," Neji said, standing up.

"No offense, Neji-san, but I think you're the last person she wants to talk to," Hinata piped up.

Suddenly Gaara stood up, looking down at the child still hiding behind his leg. Mizu looked up at him and nodded. Gaara faced the congregation again. "Mizu will speak with her," Gaara said flatly. No one challenged him.

It was a bit more difficult for the younger child to get up on the roof, but when he did he found his sister, still sitting with her legs drawn up against her chest, crying into her knees. He sat down next to her, and for a while neither of them spoke.

"Dad would be proud of you, you know," Mizu said quietly, after a moment.

Usagi glanced over at him. "Thanks," she said.


	14. Memories of Days Gone By

**Chapter 14: Memories of Days Gone By**

-That Night-

Sakura ran one thumb pensively over the seven-pointed star. It had been so long since she'd put the star in a box and locked it away, but now it was back. It was back on the forehead protector in her hand, and she was about to tie it into her hair, her leaf headband laying forgotten on the dresser. When they'd first gotten the idea for the star, the Star of Hope, it was meant to inspire courage, camaraderie, strength and, indeed, as its name stated, hope. Now as Sakura looked down at the gold embossed symbol she could feel hardly any of those emotions. In fact it was rather hard to pin down what she was feeling. Glad? A little. Afraid? More than a little. Nostalgic? Certainly. Hopeful? Hardly.

This thing, this little scrap of cloth and metal, was a piece of her past. The piece that would always remind her that she was Sakura Haruno, kunoichi of the Golden Army, one of the fifteen greatest ninjas in the word and one of the five greatest kunoichi ever. She was one of the shinobi who had defeated the Nightmare, she had walked beside the Nine-tailed Fox and the last Uchiha, she had trained under a sanin, she had claimed the life of Sasori no Akasuna, Suna's most infamous puppet master, and she had been the personal medic of the world's greatest heroes, including the legendary Golden General, the greatest shinobi to have ever lived!

And she had let him die.

It wasn't her fault. She knew it wasn't her fault. She hadn't known, hell she hadn't even _been_ there. And yet she felt responsible. She imagined in a way they all felt responsible. She looked back down at the headband, and realized she'd been gripping it rather tightly. There really was only one thing to do. She had buried it in a box, like the others, and hidden it in the back of her closet as though that could push the memories into the deeper recesses of her mind where she wouldn't have to notice them. But they were there, and so was this headband. And she had to put it on.

The fabric was dry and stiff from its long imprisonment, but as she bent and tucked it behind her hair it began to give and she tied the cool, dusty cloth around her head. She looked into the full length mirror, in her bedroom, in her home, and she thought about jerking it off and hiding under the covers, hiding from the truth, hiding from herself. She wanted to hide, hide from what she'd seen, what she'd done, the life she'd lived as a member of the Golden Army, the best, worst, most traumatic experience of her life. It had given her so much; peace, safety, a loving husband, a family of friends. It had taken a group of strangers and forced them together, through danger and hardship, until they were closer than siblings. Lovers had emerged, the fear of tomorrow being your dying day did not allow feelings for someone to be kept secret, and when the storm had passed some had stood the test of time while others had drifted apart in the calm waters of everyday life.

And yet somehow it had also taken just as much. She had what most people could only dream about, and yet part of her soul that might have reveled in this happiness was forever shriveled and unfeeling, charred, blacked, deadened by what she'd seen. She'd seen the earth split in two and watched all the fire and darkness in hell rise up before her eyes. And when she closed her eyes sometimes she still saw it. Sometimes she awoke from a fitful sleep, mouth stretched wide in a silent scream, her eyes stretched wide to erase the images flashing past her closed eyelids. The fire burned the red of the blood into her irises, so that it seemed as though her very eyes were bloodstained. She would be pulled into her husband's arms, and looking into his eyes she would see the same haunted look she wore reflected there because he'd seen these things too, and he dreamed about them just as she did.

She stood before the mirror and shut her eyes, allowing the images to flash past. The blood. The fire. The darkness. And then she opened them, and there, reflected in the mirror, was Sakura Haruno, a mere child with her life ahead of her, a headband with a symbol meant to inspire in her hair and a look on her face, a kind of savage determination, that said that she was ready for whatever the world had to throw at her. Let hell come, she would be ready.

But she wasn't that girl anymore, and in a moment she collapsed on the floor, sobbing her regret of that fact onto the backs of her hands. "Oh dear gods, great spirits, Naruto, anyone who's listening! I can't do this! I can't be this person again! I have a baby on the way for goodness sake! I can't do this! I can't do this! I can't! I can't!"

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura looked up to see Lee standing in the doorway to their bedroom. He wore his Golden Army headband, the golden star glinting at his waist, and he stared down at her in shocked concern, giving way to understanding pity. He dropped to his knees beside her and pulled her into his arms, holding her close, pressing her tear-stained face into his shirt as she cried. He said nothing, he knew there were no words. He simply held her, and she clung to him as though he were her only anchor to reality.

At last her fingers loosened on his shirt and she raised her watery eyes to his. Blinking back more tears, she asked the question that had been troubling both of them since the subject of reviving the Army had first arisen. "What are we going to do about the baby?"

Lee simply pulled her back into his tight embrace. "We'll think of something."

-Sometime Later-

The Golden Academy was situated in the farthest section of the Region of Fire. It would take several days to get there, perhaps weeks or longer if they met resistance, which they were all sure they would. They had decided they would leave that night, leaving the three children with Kakashi and Ayura. It was apparent that Ayura would have a lot of time to take care of them, seeing as she wouldn't be spending much time with Kakashi, who was still in trouble for keeping secrets.

Sasuke stalked the empty streets of Konoha one last time as he headed to the front gate, where they were meeting. He kept to the shadows, and took a specific route, hoping to spot a particular person. If the way of life they'd kept to during their original Golden Army days was picked up again, then a private moment to speak with this particular person would quickly become a rare thing. He would have to corner her before they left the village.

Taking his time as he made his way to his destination, he thought back on those days. The fifteen of them had stuck together during that time, the fear of being attacked outweighing the desire to be alone. Many nights they'd slept under the stars, or in a rented room carpeted in pillows, all of them spread out to an extent but still clustered together in the same area, none of them daring to wander off too far. Hinata would sleep wrapped up in Naruto's arms, and Tenten would often rest with her palms against Neji's chest, his arms around her back and his chin resting on the top of her head. Ino would doze off curled up like a cat on Choji's chest, her legs stretching out down his stomach and her hair tickling his face. Shikamaru and Temari would be sitting up against the wall in a corned, Temari leaning her head against the adjoining wall, Shikamaru leaning his head on Temari's shoulder. Gaara would be in one corner meditating, and Kankuro would be in another, puppet scroll tucked under one arm. Kiba would sleep resting against Akamaru's furry side, and Shino would be stretched out flat nearby, never shifting in his sleep except for the occasional movement of his insects. Lee and Sakura would be sleeping side by side, facing each other with their fingers intertwined in sleep, as Sasuke himself tried to sleep propped up against the opposite wall, watching the two of them through half closed eyelids.

After all, he thought to himself as he walked, it had been around the time the Golden Army was first formed that he'd first realized he was in love with Sakura. He'd been struggling to pin down this feeling he had for her for some time, but he hadn't realized it was love until he'd seen her go up against the little pieces of hell they'd had to face. Ever since he'd first seen her again, after all that time training with Orochimaru, the attraction had been there, although he hadn't been able to place the feeling. It was around that time that he'd begun to understand his feelings for her, and of course with them the challenge he now faced. She had moved on. She was in love with Lee now, or thought she was. Sasuke found it hard to imagine that she was truly in love with the strange looking man, it was far more likely that she simply wanted someone safe. Lee of course was the very epitome of safe, he'd been in love with her since they'd first met, he'd never wavered in his devotion to her, and he wasn't powerful enough to be targeted by someone like Orochimaru the way Sasuke had been. No, Lee was just someone safe. Someone she knew wouldn't hurt or leave her. She was settling, he understood that, and somewhere deep down he knew she understood it too. He just had to convince her that she no longer had to settle.

He'd been trying for some time now to convince her of that. It was hard, slow work getting her to trust him again, just as he knew it would be. After such a great betrayal he knew she would at first be wary of him, once bitten twice shy, after all. But he had the patience for it, gently nudging her toward accepting him each time he saw her, showing her his newfound dedication, committing to the idea of her being his wife. Because that was what he wanted. He wanted nothing more than for Sakura to be his wife, and he would wait as long as it took for her to realize that it was her destiny to be by his side.

He saw her only when he neared the gate, far too late to pull her aside, and anyway she was wrapped up tight in the arms of her safety net. Everyone else was already there, and he forced his mind onto more pressing matters. He was the leader of the Golden Army now, the Golden General. The mission ahead of them was his responsibility. They were all waiting on him to give the order.

"Alright," he said as they all gathered around the open gates, taking the first few steps out into the perilous night, "let's move out."


	15. Stowaway in the Sky

**Chapter 15: Stowaway in the Sky**

They didn't travel on the road. They didn't leap at lightning speed through the trees either, none of them was in any real hurry, but still they kept off the beaten path, instead winding their way through the trees. The sun shining through the canopy of leaves cast shadows everywhere, and everyone kept one eye on the ground. Which is probably why no one noticed the large object soaring overhead that caught up with them about midmorning.

It was a bit of a new experience for Sasuke, being in the lead. He was accustomed to hanging back, letting Naruto lead as he traveled somewhere in the middle of the group, careful to place himself behind Lee and Sakura so he could keep an eye on them. Not being able to watch Sakura as she walked arm in arm with Lee was a bit unnerving, still he wasn't worried. He knew they were not the sort of couple prone to great displays of affection with an audience present, not even seven years of marriage had changed that.

There were several villages between the Hidden Leaf Village and the Golden Academy, and Sasuke wanted to reach the first by nightfall. It seemed their pace would allow for that, they were moving at a reasonable speed and their way had not been obstructed yet. They could only hope it would stay that way. Most of them hoped that at least, since Sasuke himself felt as though he would almost be glad of an attack. Perhaps it was the desire to see Sakura in action again, or maybe he was just channeling Naruto's energy, but he suddenly felt as though he were itching for a fight. His eyes traced each shadow carefully, looking for any sign of movement that might betray the presence of a fledgling Dark, however only the shifting of the leaves above caused the shadows to dance and there were no signs of danger whatsoever. Sasuke kicked at the dirt rather angrily, then of course became doubly angry because he was acting even more like Naruto.

He was so irked at himself that when Shikamaru tapped him on the shoulder he whirled around angrily and snapped, "What!" so loudly he was sure the whole procession had heard him. Cursing himself for not being more vigilant, he looked away.

"What is it?" he questioned at last.

Shikamaru gave him a look that he supposed was meant to be comforting but instead just looked terribly patronizing. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sasuke sighed, still a little irritable, "what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Shikamaru stuck his hands in his pockets, falling into step beside his leader. "It's not important."

"Obviously it was important or you wouldn't have bothered me with it!" Sasuke growled impatiently, looking determinedly at the ground as they walked.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "I just wanted to discuss our plan for when we reach the Academy, but if this isn't a good time it can wait."

Sasuke said nothing for a few moments. At last he sighed resignedly, "Alright, out with the lecture. I saw you giving them to Naruto all the time."

Shikamaru just shrugged. "Forget it, its too much trouble to give you a lecture. Besides, just between you and me I never gave Naruto one either."

Sasuke gave him a shocked look, and Shikamaru laughed softly. "Its true, I'd just tell him what an idiot he was, then we'd spend the rest of the time trying to guess what the girls were wearing under their uniforms that day."

Sasuke stared, and Shikamaru grinned. "Not everything was so serious in those days you know."

Tenten wasn't entirely sure how or why she'd done it, but halfway through the morning she found that she had fallen into step beside Neji. It wasn't such a surprise really, she tried to tell herself, after all they'd always walked together during their Golden Army days. The couples had always walked together.

Perhaps it was the fact that she was once again calling him 'Neji-kun.' Perhaps it was the Golden Army headband, somehow so much different from her Hidden Leaf one. Perhaps it was just a little foolish wishful thinking, but somehow she felt herself transported back to those days. Suddenly she felt like she was back in that place and that time, when she'd been his girlfriend, the girlfriend of the boy, no the man, that she loved. She'd walked beside him every day, and felt his hand in hers. She'd felt his hands in her hair, pulling it from its exacting style to weave in between the silky brown strands to position her to receive one of his gentle, tender kisses. She'd slept every night pressed against him, his arms holding her close like something precious. Like she was someone precious to him.

"Neji-kun?" she asked suddenly. He glanced down at her, but said nothing. "Do you think that Choji and Ino will get back together? They were an item throughout the time we were the Golden Army seven years ago, and now they're all lovey dovey again."

This was true. Choji and Ino were walking beside each other in just they way they had back then. Ino was leaning on Choji's arm as she giggled quietly at something he'd said, while he grinned, still whispering in her ear, making her laugh harder. They looked for all the world like they were a couple again.

Neji didn't answer her question right away. Instead he glanced over at Choji and Ino, then stared off to the side for a moment or two, completely silent. She was just beginning to wonder if he was going to answer, or if he'd even heard her, when at last he spoke. "Even without Naruto here to guide us, the atmosphere of the Golden Army seems to have descended upon us again. It would not surprise me if people began to act like they used to, and old couples that grew apart in the village got back together. The passion of young love has a way of returning when one is reminded of one's youth."

Tenten swore she almost pulled a Hinata and passed out. She managed to stay on her feet, but she wasn't able to look at Neji for the rest of the day.

-Meanwhile, Several Hundred Feet in the Air-

Usagi didn't think she could last much longer. She'd been up in the air for hours on end, and while she loved flying there was only so long she could hold onto her glider as it rode the rough higher air currents. She'd been following her family, the Golden Army, for most of the day now, and as morning gave way to afternoon her stomach began to rumble. At last she couldn't take it any more. With her arms aching, her stomach growling, and her ears roaring from the wind, she circled in for a landing.

It hadn't been hard to sneak away from Ayura and Kakashi's house. Being in such emotional distress as a fight with Kakashi put her in, Ayura had of course turned to the greater world for a Sign, and thus had spent most of the morning up on the roof. So Kakashi, of course, had spent most of the morning out front trying to coax her down off the roof, with very little success. At last, out of sheer desperation, Kakashi had leaped onto the roof and attempted to use his sharingan to get her down. Big mistake. Not only had it not worked, Ayura had far to much experience with him for that, but the mere attempt had also made her absolutely furious. The resulting chaos of the fight that followed had been more than enough for Usagi to make her escape, and now as she touched down on the blessedly solid earth she simply prayed that she would only be caught after they'd gotten far enough from the village that they couldn't send her back to that crazy place.

"Usagi-chan!"

No such luck.

Usagi hadn't expected to keep her presence a secret that long. Still, she thought, she hadn't expected herself to be caught the minute she came back to earth. No sooner had she found her footing on solid ground again than she'd been ambushed by Kiba, Tenten, Hinata and Neji, all clamoring to know why she was there.

"Are you alright?" Hinata cried, half hysterical as she pulled her daughter into a tight hug, held her at arms length to examine her a moment despite her assurance that she was fine, then pulled the little girl back into her embrace. The moment Usagi got free of her mother Neji's hands clamped down on her shoulders and she was swiveled around to face him next.

"Little rabbit, what are you doing here?" Neji demanded, activating his byakugan to scan her for injuries as well.

"I came to help!" Usagi insisted, trying to squirm out of his hold.

"Help!" Kiba shouted, pulling her out of Neji's grip so she was facing him now, "what the hell could you possibly do to help? This isn't a game, Usagi-chan, this is dangerous!" Akamaru growled his agreement.

"I know!" Usagi told him, still trying to get free, "and that's why you need all the help you can get!"

Shikamaru and Sasuke watched all of this from the head of the group. "She really is just like Naruto, you know," Shikamaru remarked idly as Usagi was waylaid by Tenten next, "this is exactly the kind of thing he would have done."

"I know," Sasuke shook his head resignedly, "its almost a shame we have to send her home."

And then the noise started. Suddenly all arguments were forgotten in the sound of the awful, screeching, screaming _noise_ that suddenly erupted from nowhere and everywhere at once. Instantly everyone, Usagi included, adopted a fighting stance as the shadows all around them began to twist and lengthen, warping and melding into huge and hideous beasts. A great winged tiger with horns appeared by Ino and Choji. Two enormous birds with four eyes and fangs protruding from their beaks materialized, one at the head of the procession and one at the rear. Next to Usagi and the four adults who'd clustered around her suddenly erupted a kind of bear, with six clawed limbs and horns on its head.

"Usagi look out!" Kiba cried, tossing her out of the way as the bear swiped it deadly paw at them. Usagi rolled away, stopping a few yards from the fighting, laying on her stomach. When she looked up, she saw the fight laid out before her. Everyone had instantly sprung into action. The clash of kunai against solid shadow rang in her ears, as well as the battle cries and names of various techniques.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

"Fang Over Fang!"

"Cyclone Scythe Jutsu!"

Red hot anger welled up inside Usagi as she watched her family fight. Each slash of a claw that cut through skin made her blood boil. Each bite of a fang that caught flesh made her muscles clench. Hot, burning energy swept through her body like fire. This scorching hot feeling rose up inside her as she got slowly to her feet, starting in her stomach and bubbling up to press against the boundaries of her skin. A scream rose up in her throat as her nails and gums bled, claws and fangs bursting forth from her flesh, and at last, her vision red-washed, she threw back her head and howled.

An explosion of red chakra swept the area. Wave after wave of demonic energy spread out from where Usagi stood, somehow barely washing harmlessly over the Golden Army as though they were merely gentle wind. The Darks faired much worse. As the angry red energy touch each shadowy creature they let out another piercing symphony of yells, screeching in pain as they disintegrated, unraveling at the barest touch of Usagi's chakra. She noticed them all staring at her as she swayed, her legs unsteady, her body like a rung sponge, and finally collapsed into Neji's arms.

"Well," said Shikamaru at last, "we certainly can't send her home now."


	16. First Night

**Chapter 16: First Night**

By the time they reached the first village it was evening, and Usagi was once again almost out of patience. She had regained consciousness about an hour after the fight, to find that she was riding on Neji's back as the procession continued toward the village. However, while she apparently wasn't being sent home, no one seemed willing to tell her exactly what had happened during the battle. She gathered that _something_ had happened, and that it had something to do with her. Enough to do with her that it meant she could stay, apparently. She just couldn't fathom what it was she'd done, and whatever it was it must have been draining, because she was a bit too tired to care at the moment.

The room was arranged as they had been in the old days. Three of them went in, headbands hidden, to rent a large empty room and request plenty of pillows. Then the rest would sneak in through the windows in twos and threes. This was all done to disguise the fact that they were a large group of traveling shinobi. If someone got wind of just how big their party was, or worse, just who they were, there would be a terrible commotion. Best to just lay low.

While the rest of them waited for Ino, Choji and Shikamaru to return, Sakura flitted hither and thither tending to the wounded. Not that anyone was very badly hurt, exactly, but she patched up each bite and scrape as though it were a major injury. She was taking no chances.

"Sakura-san, really, I am fine!" Lee protested as she taped a compress over a scratch on his cheek. He was sitting with his back to the trunk of a tree, and she was kneeling in front of him, fussing over a number of small cuts on his face.

"I'm the medic, I'll decide when you're fine!" Sakura snapped.

Lee caught her wrist as she went for another compress to put on a small nick over his eye. "Sakura-san," he said gently, forcing her to pause and look at him, "I know that you feel guilty about not being able to help Naruto, but tending to every little scrape on the rest of us will not change things. No matter how good you take care of us, it will not bring him back."

Sakura looked at her knees. "I know," she whispered, "I just want to be careful, that's all. I don't want anything to happen to anyone else. Not when I could have done something."

Lee smiled warmly, gazing at her with perfect understanding. "I know," he said gently, quietly enough that only she could hear him, "but none of us is going to die of a cut, Sakura-chan."

"That's the signal," called Sasuke loudly, staring openly and the couple but pointing to where Ino was waving through the window of a room at the back of the inn. Sakura and Lee both sighed as they got to their feet, and neither failed to notice how Sasuke waited for them to get ahead of him so he could watched them as they all began to file in, two and three at a time. As the leader Sasuke went in last, and the few minutes he had to wait after Lee and Sakura entered before him was enough to make him _wish _Naruto was alive.

Once they were all inside they surveyed the room. "Wow," Tenten breathed, "it almost feels like we've been here before."

It was exactly as she remembered the rooms they'd always gotten to be. The room was large and empty, an unused storage room perhaps, and the floor was covered in a thick, soft layer of pillows. Choji had already relaxed onto a large pile of them, Ino cuddling into his side and making as though to climb onto his stomach. She yawned and laid her head on his chest, blinking sleepily.

"We should all get some rest," Sasuke told them, as they all began to drift off towards familiar positions. Hinata pulled a tired Usagi out of Neji's grasp and carried her to a pile of pillows near the rear wall, settling down on her side with her daughter tucked into her arms. The sand siblings each retreated to a corner, Shikamaru following Temari, and Kiba, who had managed to maneuver in Akamaru through the window, let the great white dog settle into a sleeping position, then sank down against his side. Shino laid down nearby, and Sakura and Lee curled up next to each other near the center of the room, allowing Sasuke to pick his position against the right wall and pretend to nod off, all the while watching the two of them carefully.

Tenten cast around the large room, looking for a place to sleep. She knew how she was used to sleeping in this kind of room, but she wasn't exactly sure that was going to fly anymore. True, she had walked with him, and Ino and Choji seemed to have fallen into their old sleeping arrangement, but she wasn't sure if it would be the same way with her and Neji. He picked a spot to sleep, not too far from Hinata and Usagi, but she hesitated. At last choosing a spot several feet away from him, between him and his cousin, she settled down, her back to him and her body struggling to relax.

Things had changed between Neji and Tenten. He knew that. They had decided it was best they not see each other, in the romantic sense, once they'd gotten back to the village, but somehow this just didn't seem right. Everything was as it had been, everyone was where they'd been. Except Tenten. He lay there, staring intently at the back of her head, as though willing it to open and give him some insight as to why things felt so painfully different.

His first night back in the village all that time ago had been hard. Hell, who was he kidding, the first month had been hard, trying to get to sleep without her familiar warmth held tightly in his arms. He knew this should be easy, he'd been sleeping without her ever since then, but something about being back here, in this situation, in a room like this, everyone exactly where they had been, made him wish that she would come back to where she'd always slept.

-Later That Night-

Tenten wasn't exactly sure when she'd woken up, but she had a vague sense of having lain there, eyes closed but not asleep, listening to the gentle rhythmic sounds of the others breathing, for quite some time. At last deciding she would get no more sleep tonight, or at least for a while, she rolled over onto her back and looked at the ceiling. She wanted to turn over and look at Neji, to watch him while he slept, but she held back. That act alone made it impossible to relax. This wasn't right. This didn't feel right. This wasn't the way it had been. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. But this was how it was.

She guessed this was how Hinata must feel, for the first time in years having to get to sleep holding a child instead of being held by her husband. Then again, at least she had someone. It wasn't fair, damn it! Everybody else curled up together, Lee and Sakura, Shikamaru and Temari, hell even Ino and Choji! Even Hinata wasn't totally alone, she at least had a small reminder of the one she loved, the legacy he'd left behind. Tenten had nothing, she had no one, and after all that time spent with him, walking through hell by his side, she still didn't have the right to roll over into his arms and sleep in his embrace again. It wasn't fair!

Almost angrily, she turned over to face him . . . but he wasn't there. Sitting up, she scanned the room, looking for some sign that he had moved. There was everyone, three couples, seven individuals and a massive white dog, each tucked into a predesignated space that had been decided on more than seven years ago. But Neji was missing.

Tenten stood and crossed to the window where they'd all entered. Looking out, she scanned the street and the nearby forest, but there was no one out at this hour. Sighing, she pulled herself out the window and swung up onto the roof.

There he was.

She landed, feather light, crouching on the roof, to find him sitting on the opposite edge, staring out into the night. He turned.

"Tenten," he whispered simply, reminding her forcibly of when she had tripped and fallen into his arms. Had it really been just a few days earlier?

She stared, a little dumbstruck, for a moment, then shook herself. "I'm sorry!" she said hurriedly, turning to climb down off the roof, "I'll just . . ."

"That's alright," he told her, and she stilled, looking at him as though a little lost. "Sit with me."

Cautiously, as though she wasn't sure what to expect, she complied, crawling across the roof to where he sat and swinging her legs over the side, settling herself a short distance away from him. They sat in silence for a moment, simply staring straight ahead, then . . .

"I'm sorry!" she blurted. He turned to her, a little perplexed. "I'm sorry," she repeated, more calmly this time, but it was a forced calm. She looked determinedly at her knees. "I'm sorry I . . . I'm just sorry. I'm sorry if I was too . . . if I started acting like we were back then, and everything was the same. I know things are different now, it isn't like the old days. Things have changed."

"Tenten-chan," he tried to interrupt, the beginning of a smile spreading across his face, but she barely seemed to hear him, forging on as though he hadn't spoken.

"I'm sorry if I got a little angry with you, because I did. I probably made you feel really uncomfortable, walking beside you like we used to, and then trying to sleep so close to you, and I'm just . . ."

She never got to finish he sentence. At that precise moment Neji took hold of her chin, turned her face toward him and pressed his lips ever so gently against hers'. For a moment her eyes went wide with shock, then she relaxed into the kiss, letting him wrap his arms around her and draw her close to him.

"Tenten-chan," he said again once he pulled away, "what ever made you think I didn't want you to sleep beside me?"

"I don't know," Tenten said truthfully, her head spinning a little, "I guess . . . we just spent so long apart . . . I wasn't sure if you wanted things to go back to the way they were."

"Tenten-chan," he repeated, smiling broadly now, "I have always wanted things to be the way they were."

With that he pressed his lips against her temple and pulled her into his tight embrace.


	17. The Way Things Were Meant to Be

**Chapter 17: The Way Things Were Meant to Be**

Tenten felt Neji's tongue stroke over her bottom lip, asking, begging, demanding her to open her mouth. She complied, and felt it hesitantly pass her lips, sliding over her teeth to touch its counterpart tentatively. She felt the gentle sucking of his mouth, pulling at her tongue to play as well. His arms were around her back, one hand pressing her closer, the other stroking up her spine, gliding over her neck, to begin to work her hair out of its trademark style. The silken brown strands fell free, allowing his fingers to work between them, holding her, controlling her. Her palms pressed against his chest as her head swam. She couldn't think straight, all she felt was his hands, in her hair, at the base of her spine, and his hot mouth on hers. The kiss was tender and yet demanding, gentle but unyielding, and above all it erased all thoughts but of this moment. It was intoxicating, just as she remembered his kisses to be.

"Neji . . ." she whispered breathlessly, as his mouth left hers to trail light, hot kisses to her ear. She inhaled sharply as she felt his hot breath on her skin, then his mouth fastened onto the place where her neck met her shoulder and she squirmed, unable to control herself. "Neji-kun . . ."

He laid her down on the hard, cold surface of the roof, covering her with his body, straddling her as he continued to torture the skin of her neck. She squirmed under him as one of his hands went beside her head, bracing him above her, and the other found her hand, twining their fingers together.

"Wait," she whined, "stop! This doesn't feel right . . ."

Neji pulled back and looked down at her, confused, but she smiled back at him, "Isn't it me that's supposed to be seducing you on a rooftop?"

Tenten felt her heart soar at Neji's reply. He grinned. Not a proud grin, not a self-satisfied smirk, but a real grin, one that conveyed true happiness, real excitement, and some strange inner warmth from deep in a part of him that only Tenten had ever had the privilege to see. She grinned back, breathing hard, and a moment later his mouth came down to crush hers again, letting her taste him, and in turn tasting her, as he proceeded to show her just how happy he was. This felt real. This felt right. This felt like it had seven years ago, like this was the way things were meant to be.

His hand unwound itself from hers and went for her shirt buttons, as her freed hand went to his hair. Her fingers worked in between the dark strands, so much longer than hers, as she felt the first button on her top snap open. She smirked into the kiss. He was still good at this.

Tenten's other hand stroked down his chest and slipped under his shirt, the familiar feel of his well defined muscles bringing back a flood of memories.

He felt her hand on his abdomen and groaned. He remembered this. How many times had this happened before? His job as lookout, or an assignment to scan a village for enemies interrupted by her, her soft lips on his neck, her clever, curious hands on his chest. Just how was he meant to concentrate when she insisted on taking the opportunity of their isolation to explore his body with her fingers, with her tongue, rubbing herself against him as he tried valiantly to delay her, pleading for just a few more minutes to complete a secondary search, just to be sure, before . . .

Memory was lost in the present feeling of her hand, tracing over a familiar path, exploring every inch of his chest beneath his shirt as though this were the first time. Her mouth moved against his with such a welcome warmth, the taste of her flooding him with desire. He didn't fumble on the buttons of her shirt, they were well beyond that stage, and in another second it was lying beneath her. He heard one of her kicked-off shoes tumble over the edge of the rooftop, and he wondered idly if it had woken anyone. He heard her moan loudly and suddenly an idea occurred to him, a wickedly clever idea that made him smirk.

Releasing her mouth he trailed kisses to her ear again. Breathing harshly, he rasped, "Shh, shh, Ten-chan, there's a child down there this time, remember? We have to be quiet."

He pulled back to look into her eyes, and the smirk on his face sent delicious shivers down her spine. He was teasing her. He knew she was a screamer, she'd always been loud. Now he was putting himself in control by putting limitations on her. It was bold, demanding, and just a little bit cruel.

And damn how it aroused her.

Rather than moan or pant to show her approval, she played along, keeping quiet as she instead fixed him with an entrancing stare, sat up a little and started to undo her breast bindings. He watched as though hypnotized as she slowly, seductively unwound the white bandages confining her ample chest, until finally she lay back, arms above her head, squirming suggestively under him with a heated look in her eyes.

The scene below him had to be the most erotic thing he'd seen in seven years. An incredibly beautiful woman, topless, writhing in need between his legs and begging him without words to take her? It was just too tempting. Leaning down, he caught both her wrists, pinning them in place above her head, then buried his head in the valley of her breasts.

Tenten squirmed even more as he kissed and nipped at the soft flesh. He kissed each nipple softly before taking one into his mouth, rolling the tiny bead with his tongue. She bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, fighting the urge to cry out. Then he started to suck, ever so gently, pulling on the hardened bud with his teeth.

"Mmmm!" Tenten whined, arching her back.

Instantly he released her breast, his mouth coming to hover over hers instead. "What was that, Ten-chan?" he teased huskily.

She squirmed again. "Its . . . its not fair . . ." she panted, "I want to see you."

Neji smirked again. Rising up on his knees, he quickly pulled of his shirt and cast it aside, exposing his chest.

"That's more like it," Tenten whispered, sitting up before he could come back on top of her. She prayed silently that she remembered that sweet spot correctly . . . Neji groaned as Tenten suckled gently at a place on his side, his fingers working into her hair. Tenten smirked. She had remembered.

Neji let out something that might have been a low growl, forcing her onto her back again. His mouth came back to capture hers again, as his hands went to her hips, thumbs hooking into the elastic hem, panties and all, and jerking downward. She gasped against his mouth at the sudden exposure, fighting a loud whine. She could practically feel him smirk into the kiss as the fingers of one hand stroked over her dripping outer folds teasingly. It was all she could do not to scream out 'Neji-kun!' when he slipped the first finger inside her.

He swirled the finger slowly around her clit, torturing her, and she shuddered in pleasure and anticipation. Another finger was added and the kiss deepened, and Tenten thought she would die if she couldn't make a noise.

Pulling her lips from his, she begged breathlessly, "P-please . . . Neji-kun . . . I can't . . ."

"Sure you can," he whispered teasingly, "we can't wake little rabbit . . . what would she think . . ."

Tenten moaned. "Then don't . . . ahh . . . don't tease me damn you! Ah . . . more!"

Neji didn't need telling twice. He pulled back a moment, and a few seconds later he was straddling her bare form again, this time completely naked.

"Sh sh, Ten-chan," he whispered against her mouth. He placed several light kisses on her lips before finally plunging his tongue into her mouth. His hands found her wrists and held them still once more, his mouth occupying hers, almost as though to distract her from what he was doing, as he pressed his hips downward.

Not even the ferocity of his kiss could stifle her whine as he entered her, agonizingly slowly, inch by glorious inch, until he was buried in her tight heat. Even he couldn't suppress his groan at the feel of being inside her again. God, it felt like coming home. He hadn't been inside this woman for seven years, and it wasn't until now that he realized just how tortuously slowly each and every minute of those seven years had passed without her. Part of him wanted to just stay like this, sheathed inside her forever, but she was wiggling so deliciously under him, and the aching need driving both of them now demanded friction.

The kiss was broken and they both panted harshly against each other's mouths. Tenten whined, rotating her hips, pressing against him as he hesitated to move. "Neji-kun . . ."

He slid out of her, just as slowly as he entered, his eyes locked on hers. "Neji-kun . . ." she repeated, her pitch slightly higher as she writhed in undisguised need.

Then Neji did two things at once, being sure to time them exactly right. He pressed his mouth roughly back onto hers, his tongue demanding immediate entry, which she gave.

And he rammed back into her.

Tenten moaned loudly, her voice stifled by his kiss. He remembered the angle.

Her legs went around his back as he set his pace fast and brutal. His mouth never left hers as he swallowed cry after cry, a stream of pleasure noises being released into his mouth as he thrust in and out of her, always being sure to keep the right angle. She remembered his sweet spot. Well, he remembered hers too. Her cries got louder and louder as she got closer and closer, just as he was sure she was going to scream into his mouth so loud she would wake the whole Army . . .

There came an indeterminable noise from below them.

They stopped immediately, poised on the edge of an earth shattering climax, him halfway out of her, their mouths a fraction of an inch away. They listened, not daring to breath, petrified they had woken someone. After several agonizing moments, Neji pressed his mouth gently back against Tenten's.

Then he thrust back into her so hard she came then and there.

He forced his tongue almost down her throat as she screamed into his mouth. The sound of her cry vibrated through his body as she clenched around him, making him lose it, emptying inside her with an animalistic grunt of his own. He collapsed on his back by her side, pulling her tight into his arms as they waited for their breathing to return to normal, listening intently for signs of anyone stirring inside.

Just as Neji began to relax, content that they had disturbed no one, he felt her soft lips on his shoulder. He glanced at her, to see her gazing at him with those big, round chocolate eyes.

"I'm sorry I wasn't very quiet," she whispered innocently, resting her chin on his chest and cuddling into his side, "Do you think we could try it again?"

"God woman, you're insatiable as ever!" he laughed. He kissed her anyway.

"Good," Tenten said abruptly, pushing herself up on her arms, "but first you have to help me find me shoe."


	18. The Fox's Legacy

**Chapter 18: The Fox's Legacy**

-The Next Day-

Shikamaru awoke to find himself leaning at a rather uncomfortable angle against the wall. It seemed Temari had gotten up early and simply let him fall. He shifted into a sitting position, wincing, and squinted at the six-year-old annoyance that had woken him with a sharp kick in the shin.

"Good morning to you too, Usagi-chan."

Usagi crossed her small arms over her chest. "Wow you're a heavy sleeper," she remarked irritably, "we've been trying to get you up for ten minutes!"

"We?" Shikamaru asked blearily.

"Wake up, Shika-chan," Temari laughed, crossing into his field of vision, "we're leaving."

He pushed himself partway to his feet, then Temari grabbed hold of his collar and hauled him up by his shirt. "Hey!" he started to protest, before she silenced him with a deep kiss, which, he noticed, made Usagi giggle wickedly.

Shoving Temari off and slipping away from her teasing advances, Shikamaru scanned the room. His assessment; he had indeed overslept. Most everyone was already up and ready to go, a few people absent, already having gone through the window to regroup in the cover of the trees. His eyes flicked from person to person, assessing. He didn't fail to notice that his two teammates were still cozy, nor did he miss the faint aura of afterglow lingering around Tenten. His mouth quirked into a sly smile. About time.

Somehow it got decided they would put some distance between themselves and the village before stopping to eat. The next village was farther, Sasuke approximated a two or three day walk, so they'd be camping that night. He had mixed emotions about this. On the one hand, staying in the woods would attract less attention than the process of renting a room with their peculiar requirements in a village, and it also meant that if they were attacked there were no innocent bystanders to be caught in the crossfire. However, the odds of an attack actually occurring increased dramatically. Then of course there were his own personal reasons. Being surrounded by trees increased the number of hiding places, and the odds of managing to corner Sakura for a private word.

"Iiiiiino-chan!" Choji sang happily once they had the village at their backs, coming up from behind her. Ino grinned and wrapped her arms around one of his, momentarily distracted from watching Neji and Tenten walk a little ways ahead of them.

"Hey, Choji-kun?" Ino asked, turning her attention back to the two people in front of her.

"Hm?" he replied, grinning a little himself.

Ino smiled slyly up at him. "Do you think Neji and Tenten are acting a little strange?"

"Yeah," said Choji, watching them, "Neji seems almost happy."

"Do you think, maybe, they got back together?" Ino asked quietly.

Choji stiffened a little, "Maybe . . . I suppose they might have." He tried to keep his voice casual, as though it didn't really concern him, while inside his heart was thumping violently. Was this it? What this what he thought it was? Did this mean . . .

"Why do you ask?" again he tried for casual, but wasn't sure if he managed it. He barely trusted himself to form words.

Ino shrugged, "No reason."

His heart sank. Perhaps he'd misread her tone.

"Choji-kun?" she repeated, a little slower this time.

"Yeah."

"Do you think the others think we're back together?"

Choji swallowed his heart as it tried to fly up his throat. Yesterday had been perfect. It was like going back in time, back to when . . . when she'd been his. He rarely thought of her that way, as his, it was more like he was hers. They weren't like a normal couple. Ino was a take-charge girl, and Choji was all too happy to follow her. It had once occurred to him that if she walked off the edge of the earth, he would follow her, as long as she looked back before she did and gave him that beautiful, determined smile of hers. If she did that, he would know, know that it was alright, that whatever was down there, they would face it together. She'd always been squad leader, and from very early on he'd trusted her with everything. He had depended on her, he knew that, and he knew he still did. Not that she ever seemed to mind taking care of him, taking care of their squad. He'd always known she'd make a terrific mother, she just had that way about her. That way of taking charge when it was necessary, being supportive and encouraging when they needed her to be, and being gentle and warm when that was what they needed of her. Her kindness warmed his heart, and her courage inspired him. Her strength was his, and for as long as he could remember he'd longed to return that strength, that kindness, that care, and be the one to support her. He wanted to be there for her, and in the old days of Golden Army he'd gotten his wish. He'd been with her, been there for her, and she, she had wanted him to be there. She'd needed him. And just for a little while, he'd felt like a part of her.

Just for a moment, walking her home that night, he'd felt it again. For just a moment, she'd looked at him that way again. Like she needed him. Like he was a part of her. Like she needed him to make her whole. Just the way he needed her.

"Are we, Ino-chan?"

He was looking at the ground, so he didn't see her expression. He didn't see the slow, glowing smile spread across her face. He didn't see her eyes come alive with happiness and light. He didn't see her stretching upwards towards him. But he felt her hand on his cheek as she turned his head and brought his lips to hers for a long, slow kiss.

Neither of them saw Shikamaru grin and Kankuro roll his eyes, nor did they really hear Sakura, Lee and Kiba all cheering, and Hinata laughing lightly. They were just a little too busy at the moment to really care, anyway.

Usagi, walking between Hinata and Shikamaru, covered her mouth with her hand to stop her giggles.

They came to a fairly open space, where the trees were less dense, by a wide river, and soon a fire was going and several fish were pinned against trees with kunai on the far side of the water. Kiba and Akamaru were both knee deep in the water, catching fish with their bare claws.

Shikamaru sat down and water's edge and beckoned Usagi to sit beside him. Halfway out into the river to join Kiba and Akamaru, she grumbled but bounded back through the water to the shore, falling once, where she shook herself dry and collapsed down next to her uncle.

"What's the matter, Uncle Shikamaru?" she asked, wringing a piece of hair dry.

Shikamaru looked out over the water a moment before he spoke. It seemed to Usagi as though he were searching for the right words. "Usagi-chan," he said at last, "you knew Naruto was a jinchuriki, am I right?"

Usagi blinked, then stared."Yeah, sure I did."

Shikamaru went on. "And you understand what that means, right?"

Another, almost confused blink, "yeah."

He turned to her, studying her in a way that reminded her strongly of Kakashi. "Usagi-chan, do you understand why you're here? Why you aren't being sent home?"

Usagi sat up a little straighter. It seemed she was finally going to get some answers. "I was kinda hoping you'd tell me."

Shikamaru hesitated a moment. "I can't exactly be sure of what happened, Usagi-chan, but I can make an educated guess. Do you realize what you did yesterday? During the fight?"

Usagi shook her head. "You released a massive amount of chakra," Shikamaru told her, "the pure, raw energy was enough to destroy the Darks we were fighting, they aren't very stable after all, but the amount of pure chakra you unleashed is unheard of."

He paused. "Well, almost unheard of."

Usagi gazed at Shikamaru in confusion. "What do you mean, almost unheard of? You've heard of somebody else doing it?"

"Not just heard about it, I've seen it. I've only every known one person who could do what you did, Usagi-chan. Do you know who that person was?"

"Who?" Usagi asked, now openly staring.

Shikamaru cast his gaze downward. "You're father. Naruto."

Usagi's heart jumped. "What?" she demanded loudly, "wait! Wait does that mean . . ."

Shikamaru lifted his head to face her again. "Somehow you have the power of the nine-tailed demon fox."

Usagi just stared at him for a moment. No way, no _way_! This couldn't be happening The kyuubi! Hers! It just wasn't possible. "But . . . but . . ." she protested, "but I've never . . . I've never done anything like that before! I've never seen it or heard it! I haven't done anything amazing before, or . . . or had funny dreams, or . . ."

"Haven't you?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, "Think, Usagi-chan."

Usagi stared blankly off into space, thinking. She wracked her brains, trying to delve into her memory, trying to remember . . .

"The night terrors," she breathed.

Shikamaru nodded. "When you were four. Those were probably side effects of being infused with the kyuubi's demon chakra."

"So . . . so you mean, this has been in me for a while?" Usagi asked. Shikamaru noted with concern that her voice had grown calm and much softer, like for once she was being serious. He knew from experience, when an Uzumaki acted serious, the situation was beyond serious.

"Usagi-chan, this might also explain another thing about those dreams," he told her quietly. When she glanced up, he continued, "You see you used to become very agitated when Neji tried to sooth you. I think I know why. He tried to calm you by manipulating your chakra network. Unfortunately, what was making you so upset was that your network was already overflowing with chakra. Even the tiny bit of chakra he used would have been enough to cause pain, when you were already overloaded. It wasn't Neji's . . ."

"No!" Usagi interrupted him, leaping to her feet, "My father is the master of the nine-tailed demon fox! He never said anything about losing it or giving it to me, and he wouldn't do anything to hurt me! He would have said something! He would have told me! He would have been teaching me and training me, he wouldn't just keep it a secret! No, no you're wrong you hear me! You're all wrong!"

With that Usagi turned on her heel and walked back into the river.


	19. Animal Instincts

**Chapter 19: Animal Instincts**

Aside from that morning's incident the rest of the day passed uneventfully. They walked mainly in silence, talking quietly in groups of two and three from time to time, but for the most part simply keeping alert and enjoying each other's company. Even Usagi, riding perched on Akamaru's head, had to admit that they were hardly ever all together like this, the entire family in one big group. There was something oddly fulfilling about it.

Sasuke was still getting used to walking at the head of the group. There was an inherent impracticality in the leader going first, he thought as he fought the urge to glance back over his shoulder. As the Golden General he was responsible for the lives of everyone in the Golden Army, but just how was he meant to keep an eye on them if they were all walking behind him? Again he fought the urge to simply turn around and do a head check, but he knew it was a bad idea, and would simply cause suspicion and alarm. It was terribly frustrating, and twice he almost caught himself mentally asking Naruto what to do. Naruto had never seemed to have this problem, but surely Naruto didn't care about the lives of his friends less than _Sasuke_. He tried to think back, remembering his days at the end of the procession, trying to picture Naruto in the lead. He never just walked, no, he always had to yammer on as he did so. Sasuke remembered him as being fond of long winded speeches and loud, endless introductions, but he'd never seen Naruto go on so long as when he was leading the group, every once in a while glancing over his shoulder, or turning around and walking backwards for a way as he made an important statement or . . . Of course, Sasuke thought bitterly to himself. His endless monologues had always been punctuated by a long look over his shoulder, eyes sweeping over everyone behind him. What he'd always taken for posturing in front of a captive audience had in fact been an excuse to check on them all, making sure they were all still safe in his wake.

Sasuke snorted at the irony. It seemed you really didn't know anyone until they were dead.

"Everyone's fine," said a voice a little ways behind him to his left, making him jump. He turned around to snap at Shikamaru, but instead found Neji coming up beside him.

"We're all fine back here," Neji repeated, not looking at Sasuke but staring straight ahead.

"What makes you . . ." Sasuke began.

"You were straining to look over your shoulder," Neji informed him quietly, cutting him off mid-sentence "you were starting to twitch."

Sasuke looked away, and for a moment nobody said anything. Then Sasuke broke the silence. "How did he do it?" he asked, not exactly to Neji but more to the universe at large.

"How did who do what?" Neji asked calmly, still not looking at him.

"How did Naruto do this?" Sasuke asked, "How did he take care of all these people? They're all perfectly independent and self-sufficient, and yet each in their own way, they depended on him. They all needed him for something, and had something to thank him for. He took care of each one in a different way. How did he do it?"

Neji didn't answer for a moment, instead letting his gaze slide slightly out of focus, his eyes wandering to the sky. "There are things about Naruto I realized I would never understand a long time ago."

For a moment he just stared, mulling it over. In the end, he found he could do nothing but nod his agreement. Kakashi hadn't called Naruto "#1 in surprising people" for nothing.

"I need to speak with you about little rabbit." Neji said after another long pause.

"You know she hates it when you call her that," was Sasuke's instinctual response.

Another long pause and a heavy hearted sigh. "You can't just ignore what happened the other day, Sasuke-san."

"I'm not ignoring it," Sasuke replied coolly, "she's here isn't she?"

Neji almost growled in frustration. "You know perfectly well what I mean!" he snapped, "She has the nine-tailed demon fox sealed inside her! She needs training!"

"What training?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow, "From who? As I remember it, most of Naruto's use of the nine-tails in battle was instinctual, like what Usagi did the other day. He learned a few basics from Jiraiya, but most of what he knew about fighting with it he figured out on his own."

Neji stared at him a moment, something between pain and confusion undulating across his face, making Sasuke wonder what he was about to suggest. Then he looked at the ground. "I'd like to take her home, then," he said quietly.

That Sasuke had not been expecting. "Why?" he demanded, "we've never faced the Nightmare without the nine-tails' power. We might need her."

"But she has no experience!" Neji protested, almost angrily, "She told Shikamaru nothing like that had ever happened before! If there's no kind of training then I think we have to consider the fact that we're sending a six-year-old into a life-or-death battle! We can't just toy with Usagi's life this way!"

"You wouldn't have hesitated to send Naruto," Sasuke pointed out. "Even when Naruto was only twelve, you wouldn't have objected to him leading us into this fight."

"That's twice Usagi's age!" Neji snapped, really angry this time, "and anyway that's not the point! She's never done this before! She has no idea what she's doing!"

"Naruto never had any idea what he was doing!" Sasuke shot back, "do you think that, however many times he unleashed the nine-tails, he ever developed a method for it? Some kind of secret technique? No! He never did any of that truly on purpose, it was always half an accident! He worked on instinct! Usagi's already proven she can do that!"

"But . . . but . . ." Neji seemed at a loss, quite out of reasons but still sure, "she's only a child, Sasuke-san."

Sasuke sighed. "So was Naruto. But when the time came we all learned to step aside and trust him, and just back him up when he needed us. Usagi has the nine-tails now, she has all that instinct. I think we need to learn to trust her."

-That Night-

The campfire was more of a bonfire, big enough for all fifteen of them, sixteen counting Akamaru, to sit around it. Not that they all did, at least not at once. They all came and went at random, so at any given time there was a totally different assortment of people reclining by the fire. They went off for wood, to find places to sleep, and some even slipped off to find a place not to far away where there was a bit of privacy to be had amongst the trees.

Sakura sat by the fire, arms around her legs and chin resting on her knees. She gazed resignedly into the fire's depths, trying to make sense of her jumbled thoughts. The Golden Army was together again. Their way of life had encompassed them once more, taking them back in time to when they'd been a younger, more innocent group of people. This felt familiar, almost happy. Still, she couldn't help holding her breath a little. She knew perfectly well, she was waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"Sakura-chan."

_Thump._

She turned, to see Sasuke standing a few feet behind her, leaning against a tree, his body seeming to stand in some kind of doorway between the ring of light cast by the fire, and the darkness of the forest. She quickly glanced around, to find that not only was Lee gone but the only ones around were Shino, Hinata, Usagi and Kiba. He must have waited a while for this opportunity.

"Sakura-chan, I need to talk to you, its important." Sasuke said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Sakura looked at Hinata for help. Hinata, unfortunately, misread her expression, and simply smiled reassuringly. "Its alright, Sakura-chan."

Sighing, Sakura got to her feet, brushed some dirt off her clothes, and followed Sasuke into the trees. He tried to lead her deep into the woods, but the moment she lost sight of the firelight she backtracked a step and dug her heels in, refusing to go any further.

Realizing that this was a much privacy as he was going to get, he stood facing her, in front of her but not too close, drawing as near to her as possible without alarming her.

"What do you want?" she asked coldly.

Sasuke fought the urge to wince. There was ice in her tone, and it bit. Hoping to melt her cool demeanor, he took a step closer, reaching out a hand to cup her cheek, stroking it lightly. "Nothing to be so cold about, Sakura-chan."

She slapped his hand away, and again the desire to flinch was almost overwhelming. It seemed she had her guard up, she was in a no-nonsense mood, and she wasn't playing games. That was fine with him. He could be serious.

"Actually I was wondering when you were going to tell me about this," he reached for her again, this time trailing a single finger down her stomach over her abdomen.

Sakura froze. "You . . . you know?" she stammered.

Sasuke smiled serenely at her. "Yes, Sakura-chan. I've known since that day in the hospital. Of course," his hand went to here hips and he drew her closer, "I would have preferred if you had come to me, and told me on your own."

As though no registering the hands on her hips, or their proximity, she didn't move. She simply stared up at him, a strange, lost look in her eyes. "Why . . why should I . . . should I have told you?" she asked shakily, "Its none of your business!"

Sasuke's smile just intensified a little. "Sakura-chan," he whispered, drawing her a little closer now. She didn't seem to notice. "I'm the Golden General now, remember? I need to know if someone in the Golden Army is . . . in your condition. It changes things, doesn't it?"

Sakura didn't feel the hands on her hips pulling her closer until her body was pressed to his, nor did she feel them glide up her arms toward her shoulders. Her ears rang, her skin crawled, her blood boiled then turned to ice. Panic shot through her system, shutting her inside her own head long enough for him to get a good grip on her.

"It changes the circumstances," Sasuke whispered huskily, his arms stroking slowly over her shoulders.

"It affects the way people see and react to you," he continued, inching his face closer as his fingers wound into her hair.

"It alters your hormones," he rasped against her mouth, before covering it with his.

He kissed her, deep and passionate. Her mind was too numb to tell her to even close her mouth as he slipped his tongue past her lips to explore. He drank in her sweet taste, relishing the sound of her harsh breathing through her nose. His tongue slid across hers and he felt a jolt of pleasure shoot down to his groin.

She thought she was suffocating. His mouth was hot, firm and insistent, and her own soft mouth yielded to him instantly. It was as though the will to fight had drained out of her. His body against hers went unnoticed, her entire being gone numb. He didn't arouse her, he couldn't. She was far too afraid.

It was like he was floating up to heaven, and she were being dragged down to hell.

When at last they broke apart he released her and stepped back, only to grasp her hips again as she swayed dangerously. Once she had her footing, he left her there, with a chaste peck on the lips and another light caress of her abdomen. He left her to wonder in fear and confusion what had happened, what he had meant, and what an earth to do. He didn't want to, but he deemed it necessary. He hated to see her cry, to see her in pain, but he knew it had to be done. He knew she wouldn't yield to him without a fight. A weakening of her defenses was necessary. He might never get another opportunity like this.


	20. New Crises

**Chapter 20: New Crises**

They were supposed to reach the next village by nightfall. They had slept scattered around the bonfire as it faded down, in much the same positions they'd kept to at the inn, with the obvious exception that now _all _the old couples were back together, Neji and Tenten also returning to their previous sleeping arrangements. They'd set out first thing in the morning, several eyes on the sky as Usagi took the opportunity to glide over the treetops, rather than walk.

Around noon Usagi was beckoned down out of the air by Sasuke. Letting the others build a fire and prepare lunch, he took the little girl aside.

"I know Shikamaru talked to you about the nine-tails, Usagi-chan," Sasuke told her once they'd settled a ways away from the others, well out of earshot.

Usagi turned her head and stuck up her nose. "I don't have the nine-tails," she said firmly, "father had it and now its gone."

Sasuke sighed and looked down, then turned his gaze back to her, wondering how to proceed. To his surprise, he looked up to see her staring distractedly off to one side. "But . . ." she started, "what happened the other day . . . that was pretty amazing, wasn't it? What do you think caused that?"

Sasuke thought for a minute. "I suppose there could be another reason. You could just have part of its power, but not its consciousness buried beneath yours." Usagi glanced at him, as though not sure whether to trust his explanation. "I can find out, if you want. Just hold still."

Sasuke reached out a hand and grasped Usagi's head, his palm to her forehead and his fingers in her hair. He shut his eyes and she simply stared at him a moment while he held the position. She didn't exactly _feel_ anything, but she had an odd sense of something prodding at her insides, shifting things inside her around so it could look.

At last Sasuke drew his hand away. "I don't sense the soul of the nine-tails," he told her, smiling a little, "but you definitely have a good chunk of its chakra. Its strange though. You have a lot, but not all of it. Its like you've only got half."

"Well what does that mean?" Usagi asked, frowning.

Sasuke thought for a moment. "Well, Naruto's seal was designed to only allow him access to the fox's yang chakra. Its possible that that's all you got, and the rest is . . . wherever."

Usagi opened her mouth to say something. Sasuke never did find out what it was. At that precise moment a loud shriek split the air and all eyes turned skyward as a shadow fell across them. There was a great rush of air, and something huge came overhead, blocking out the sun for a few moments.

"Dark!" yelled Kiba.

"Shoot it down!" shouted Sasuke.

"I got it!" screamed Temari. She swung her fan up at the mass above them, and down below a slicing sound could be heard. There came another terrible shriek, but the creature merely flapped four enormous wings and rose higher into the sky, out of range as it continued to circle them.

"It's huge!" called Shikamaru, staring up at it. It was. The Dark was enormous. It was in the form of a great bird, with four wings, two taloned legs and a long neck, ending in a tiny, arrow-like head with a sharp beak and beady, evil eyes. It cawed its unearthly cry again and dove.

"Get down!" yelled Sasuke, grabbing Usagi and diving into the cover of the trees.

"Sakura-san, look out!" Lee cried, pushing her against a tree and covering her with his body. Neji wrapped one arm around Tenten's shoulders and together they dropped to the ground. Temari hid herself and Shikamaru behind her fan, and Hinata flattened herself to the ground. A shield of sand encased Gaara, one of bugs surrounded Shino, and Kankuro dived for the trees, Choji dragging Ino not far behind him. Two talons raked across the earth, leaving two deep gouges. Akamaru grabbed Kiba's shirt between his teeth and jerked his master out of the way, the leftmost talon missing Kiba's leg by inches.

"Usagi-chan!" Hinata half screamed, half sobbed, launching to her feet and sprinting towards where Sasuke had Usagi pinned to the ground.

"Hinata-chan, stop!" Neji called, jumping to his feet as well, "little rabbit stay there!"

"Mother!" Usagi shrieked as another earsplitting caw signaled a second attack. Usagi scrambled out from under Sasuke's arm, running towards Hinata. The Dark dived.

"No!"

One thick, sturdy talon hooked around Usagi's waist. As she was pulled upward Neji lunged for her outstretched hand, but missed. Each of them saw her face flash before them, a mixture of fear and surprise, before the pounding of four great wings at the still air pulled her up into the sky.

"USAGI!" Hinata screamed, running after the monstrous bird as it soared off over the trees. Tears flowed freely down her face, cry after cry of her daughter's name tearing her throat. Twigs and branches whipped at her face and hands as she ran, she could hear Neji and the others calling behind her but she didn't care, her whole being was focused on being below that bird when it landed . . .

"Hinata-chan, stop!" this one sounded closer. She barely felt Neji fasten his arms around her from behind but she just kept running, struggling against his hold. The bird was getting smaller and smaller at it flew away, the cries getting fainter and fainter.

"Usagi . . . Usagi . . . Usagi . . ." Hinata sobbed, at last going limp. She let herself collapse, crumbling to her knees and falling back into Neji's arms. He held her, letting her bury her head in his shirt, sobbing, until the others arrived and Kiba knelt down beside them, pulling Hinata into his arms.

"Hey . . . its ok . . . we'll get her back . . . its ok," he muttered nonsensically into her hair, staring off into space over her shoulder.

They all crowded around the three people crumpled on the forest floor. Each face held an identical expression of anguish. They had lost another one.

Shino stepped forward. Adjusting his glasses on his nose briefly, he put a hand on Hinata's shoulder. She looked up at him. "We'll bring her back," he assured her simply.

"You!" hissed a voice saturated with venom. They all turned to Neji, who was standing up, glaring at Sasuke with murder in his eyes. Sasuke took a step back.

"You did this!" Neji spat, pointing a finger at Sasuke, "This is your fault! You're the one that insisted she stay! You're . . ."

"Neji-kun . . ." Tenten murmured, looking scared, "we all agreed Usagi should be here. Its not Sasuke's fault she . . ."

"Yes it is!" Neji howled. "He's the one who said she should stay, even though she was a child, even though she had no experience, even though we couldn't train her to . . ."

"We all agree!" Sasuke shot back angrily, "It wasn't my decision to keep her here, she wanted to come, and we all said that . . ."

"You had hold of her!" Neji obviously wasn't giving up that easily, "you couldn't have held on for another . . ."

"She was reaching to you!" Sasuke countered, "couldn't you have . . ."

"SHUT UP BOTH OF YOU!" bellowed Sakura. They both whirled around to look at her and Lee, standing off to the side of the two of them as they argued.

Sakura put a hand to her head and moaned lightly, her eyes fluttering. "Sakura-san!" Lee cried, lunging forward as her knees buckled and she fell. He caught her and dropped to his knees, resting her against his body.

Ino shot forward. "What's wrong with her?" she demanded, kneeling beside her friend, Choji standing supportively behind her.

Lee looked like a deer in the headlights as he looked from Sakura to Ino, wondering what to do, until . . .

"She's pregnant," Sasuke said loudly.

"WHAT?"

Nobody much cared who this statement had come from. They were all thinking the same thing anyway.

Lee stared, in utter horror laced with bemused confusion, at Sasuke, "You _knew?_"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, "Of course I knew."

"Then why didn't anyone tell me!" Ino exploded.

"An excellent question," Shikamaru piped up, looking more lost than anyone.

Sakura's eyes fluttered open just as the most heinous question she'd ever heard spoken floated into the air.

"Who's is it?" asked Temari.

Then the most heinous answer Sakura could have imagined followed it.

"Mine!" said Lee . . . and Sasuke at once.

Sakura passed out again.

"Sakura-san! Sakura-san!" Lee sobbed, shaking her shoulders lightly as he begged his wife to wake up.

"What the hell is going on!" Ino demanded.

"He is lying!" Lee shouted, glaring at Sasuke.

"You'd know?" Sasuke shot back.

"Does Sakura know?" Choji asked tentatively.

"Of course she knows!" Lee proclaimed. "Sakura is well aware that the child is ours! It could not be anyone else's!"

Sasuke let out a small chuckle. "Right, 'cause if there was any way it could be I'm sure she'd tell you."

"Sasuke-kun," said Ino, turning to look at him,"shut up."

"Thank you," said Neji flatly.

"Um," said Tenten, "aren't we all forgetting something?"

"Usagi!" cried Ino, leaping to her feet, "we have to go after her!"

"Perhaps we should all take a minute to calm down first," Shino suggested, sounding a little shaken.

"That is a good idea, Shino-san," Lee said. Taking a deep breath, he passed the still unconscious Sakura to Ino. He stood . . . then drew back his fist and slammed it as hard as he could into Sasuke's jaw.

Sasuke swore and fell backwards, landing against a tree clutching his jaw. "You bastard," he swore, advancing on Lee.

"Fuck off!" Hinata's leg lashed out, her heel striking his shin. He crumpled to the ground, clutching at his leg.

"I think its time you left, Sasuke-san," Neji said evenly, getting to his feet.

Sasuke glared into the sea of angry faces. Then he spat out a mouthful of blood, and vanished.


	21. Rescue and Rasengan

**Chapter 21: Rescue and Rasengan**

-That Night, An Unnamed Sinister Location-

It was dark where Usagi was. She wasn't entirely sure where she was, but she was sure it was dark. She couldn't see a bloody thing. And bloody was the right word, the whole place reeked of dried blood. She was sitting on cold stone, she'd shuffled around on all fours until she'd found a corner, and was now crouching there, huddled up for warmth. It was freezing.

The last thing she remembered was being dropped from a dizzying height by the bird and into the arms of a waiting soldier. Well, she supposed it must have been a harbinger. It certainly looked like a corpse. Its skin was an ashen gray, its eyes were missing and its mouth was sewn shut. It was dressed in very loose gray garments and a few pieces of armor that might have been clay or stone. It had squished disgustingly as it carried her, kicking and screaming blue murder, into an underground passage, completely unlit by torches or any other light source, so Usagi had lost her bearings quickly. They had gone through a complicated series of twists and turns, after which she had been dumped unceremoniously into this cold dark space.

Usagi blew on her hands. It really was freezing. It wasn't out of fear that she'd sought the corner, but protection from the biting draft. Idly she wondered where it was coming from. The door probably, it had creaked horribly when the harbinger had opened it and she'd heard the sound of solid wood on stone when it had closed, but she thought she remembered the general direction it was in and that felt like the same direction as the draft. Cautiously, she left the corner and crawled across the room to the door. Surprisingly she found that she could actually make it out, despite the total absence of any light. She squinted, and it became sharper, a heavy wooden door with a barred window and . . . old fashioned hinges!

Usagi leaped up and grabbed hold of the top hinge. At first the rusty pin shrieked and whined and refused to move, but ignoring the nails-on-a-chalkboard sound Usagi managed to maneuver it out. She dropped to the floor, letting the pin clatter down beside her, then jumped up to the next hinge. In a matter of minutes, two more pins joined the other on the floor, and Usagi worked her fingers into the crack between door and wall. It was heavy, she had to strain and throw all her weight backwards, but slowly, inch by inch, it opened wide enough for her to slip through into the dark hallway.

Usagi looked left and right. She was in a passage carved out of dark stone. It was pitch black, she wasn't sure how she could see exactly, and still freezing. She blew on her hands again, then squinted as she considered what might be the most important decision of her life. Left or right?

- Meanwhile, In the Forest-

The Golden Army was moving at top speed, darting from branch to branch through the trees like lightning. Their previous unhurried pace was forgotten in the face of this new emergency. They had to find Usagi as soon as possible. None of them wanted to consider the unthinkable, the sinister reason the Dark had not simply killed Usagi, and instead had flown off with her. A silent truce passed between them that the unspoken was not to be even considered. Usagi was not going to be made into a sacrifice. She wasn't.

Akamaru gave the air another sniff and barked over his shoulder at Kiba.

"This way!" Kiba called to the rest of them as they flew through the blur of leaves and branches.

"Hinata-chan, do you see anything?" Neji asked, coming up beside his cousin. Both Hyuugas had their bloodline limit activated, but neither of them had caught sight of the bird yet. Hinata shook her head. No luck.

"We should be getting close!" Kiba yelled, "the scent's getting stronger!"

"I hope we get there in time," Tenten whispered, more to herself than anyone else. She hadn't thought anyone had heard her, but suddenly Neji was at her side. He didn't look at her, but instead spoke, quietly enough that only she could hear him.

"We will," he told her, "nothing's going to happen to her. Little rabbit is resourceful. For all we know she's already escaped and she's heading this way right now."

"There!" Kiba bellowed.

The announcement really wasn't necessary. In a moment they all saw what had made him shout . . . nothing less than a small army of harbingers blocking their path. Row after row of gray, eyeless soldiers, random pieces of brown clay armor dotting the sea of colorless rags and ashen skin.

Temari attacked first. A brutal gust of wind knocked a couple of soldiers from the front line, sending them careening backwards into their comrades. Then the fray began. Fang over fang cut a swath through the ranks, as mind distraction jutsu held an entire row still to be caught in a shadow and consequently squished by partial expansion jutsu. Crow and the Black Ant set about destroying harbingers that were thrown clear whole, making sure they wouldn't rejoin the fray, and another row was swept into a massive sand coffin. The flashing of blades in every direction preceded random harbingers seeming to fall to pieces.

Lee had to be the most impressive though. A flash of green cut between the ranks, and suddenly whole rows fell to the ground and moved no more. Several heads of unfortunate harbingers flew off and hit other undead soldiers. During the whole battle he was visible for only a few seconds, as he gave Sakura the thumbs up.

"Let's move!" called Sakura. Shino, Neji and Hinata followed her as she wove a path through the trees, jumping from branch to branch, avoiding the fight as they slipped past the harbingers in the confusion. Neji quickly took the lead once they had left the fight behind them.

"Start looking for somewhere they could be holding her." Shino called as they flew from branch to branch through the trees.

"Somewhere like that?" Neji called. Up ahead they saw the entrance to a temple, the crumbling stone entrance leading down into the dark underground. They all paused at the edge of the trees.

"Let's go," droned Shino, and four blurs streaked toward entrance way, then . . .

"Look out!" called Neji. A split second later a terribly familiar unearthly cry shook the trees. They all raised their eyes skyward, to see the Dark bird circling in for a landing.

"Watch it!" Sakura screamed as it sunk its talons into the earth between them and the temple. All four of them backtracked, stopping back in the trees.

"Sakura-chan," said Hinata calmly, making Sakura glance at her. She was crouching at the base of a tree, a look of grim determination on her face as she stared out at the monstrous creature that had taken her oldest child from her.

"What is it, Hinata-chan?" Sakura asked, a little worried.

"Promise me . . . that you'll rescue my daughter," she demanded.

"I . . . I promise, Hinata-chan, but . . ." Sakura didn't get to finish her sentence. As soon as the promise left her mouth Hinata darted out from the cover of the trees.

"Hey, over here!" Hinata called, leaping out in front of the beast, "come at me!"

"Hinata!" Neji called, but she'd already begun gathering chakra in her palms. The Dark bird roared, readying itself for an attack, as Hinata swung her arms in a precise, controlled pattern. With a single beat of its four great wings it was soaring towards her. Her arms moved faster and faster as it neared her, her brow furrowed, her face set, her eyes fiery. The Dark bird streaked toward her, seeming to either not notice or not mind the wall of interlacing chakra strands separating it from its prey.

"Hinata!"

-Meanwhile, Inside the Temple-

Usagi's feet pounded the cold stone of the floor as she ran. The chill air nipped at her skin, feeling like senbon strikes, but she ignored it. She felt strangely energized, like a warmth of stored stamina was creeping up from inside her. The thought occurred to her that this could be the nine-tails' chakra. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about that.

She wheeled around a corner and skidded to a stop. In front of her was a set of double doors, large, stone, and solid looking. Cautiously she padded forward and pressed her ear to the cold surface. From within she could hear a metallic rattling, the gentle clink of metal on stone. Someone was inside, and they were chained up. She pulled away, face set. That was that then, she had to get inside.

She stood back. A hand seal formed almost of its own accord. Not letting her voice rise above a whisper, she spoke the name of the technique.

"Shadow clone jutsu."

Beside her, a perfect copy of herself, complete with half her chakra, puffed into existance.

Usagi stretched out her hand toward the clone. It curled its fingers so that its palms with thrust out, and began to move its hands over hers. Usagi concentrated, watching as little by little, blue strands wove around themselves and each other, swirling in counter currents, colliding and feeding on each other. Usagi curled her fingers around the yarn-ball-like concentration of chakra. Turning back to the doors she drew back her hand, then slammed her palm into the crack between them.

"Rasengan!"

The double doors flew open and off their hinges, crashing forwards and into the room, one breaking upon impact with the floor with a deafening bang. Usagi winced. Someone definitely heard that. She would have to move fast. Stepping forward into the room, she surveyed her surroundings. There wasn't much there. The room was vast, but mostly empty. The walls and floor were intricately carved stone, and there was only one object in the room, in the very center. It was an alter. Laying on the alter, bound by rusty chains and dressed in a snow white kimono, lay a young woman with short, light brown hair, her normally bright eyes wide with fear. She was still alive. Usagi gasped and fought a scream.

"Matsuri!"


	22. A Dark Dark Hole in the Ground

**Chapter 22: A Dark Dark Hole in the Ground**

BANG!

The Dark bird slammed into Hinata's barrier full force. The noise was deafening and each of them covered their eyes against the blinding flash of light. Spots danced in front of Sakura's eyes, but squinting through them she could vaguely see the black shape of the Dark bird flying backwards over the structure of the entranceway, crashing into the treetops and dissipating like shadowy smoke.

Hinata stood in the same position, breathing hard but still on her feet. As they left the trees and made for her, her knees buckled, dropping her into Neji's waiting arms.

"Go," he told them, cradling Hinata's semiconscious form, "save little rabbit. I'll look after her."

"Catch up with us!" called Sakura over her shoulder as she and Shino raced through the crumbling entranceway, down the all but ruined steps and into the dark hole that was the harbingers' temple.

"Hold on, Hinata-chan," Neji murmured quietly, his clever fingers brushing quickly over a few exposed chakra points, checking for damage, "I've got you."

-Meanwhile-

"Matsuri!" Usagi screamed, bolting across the chamber to where the older ninja lay chained to the block of stone. She jumped up onto the alter, crouching over Matsuri's limp form and pulling a clump of gray cloth from her mouth.

"Usagi . . . chan . . ." Matsuri whispered hoarsely, looking dazedly at Usagi as though she could hardly believe her eyes.

"Yes, Matsuri-sensei, its me." Usagi murmured, barely suppressing a sob. Matsuri looked terrible, she must have been down there for days. There were numerous cuts on her face and hands, and her normally tan skin was terribly pale from lack of sunlight, despite being grubby and streaked with dirt. Tear stains carved rivers through the grime on her face, her lips were cracked and bleeding, and her short hair was matted and unkempt, bits of it clumped together with dried blood. But her eyes. They were the worst, they looked . . . dead. They had the hooded, defeated look of someone who has seen too much and been able to do too little. She looked at Usagi as though she barely recognized her. Then suddenly Matsuri jolted and her eyes came alive . . . with fear.

"No!" she howled, her eyes wide, wild and slightly mad, "Get away from me! You're just an illusion! No! No! Stay back! Stay back!"

"Matsuri-sensei!" Usagi cried in shock, falling backwards off the alter as Matsuri began to struggle, "Its me! Usagi! I swear, its me!"

"NO!" Matsuri screamed, shaking like a leaf, making her chains rattle, "You're just a genjutsu! You're just trying to trick me! Stay away from me!"

"Matsuri-sensei!" Usagi sobbed, tears leaking out of her eyes as she watched someone she loved and respected, a member of her family, rant crazily. It was obvious Matsuri had been down here a long time, and she hadn't just been chained up round the clock either. Someone had been using genjutsu to psychologically torture her. Usagi wondered pityingly just how many times someone Matsuri knew, Gaara, Naruto, Usagi herself, had come to rescue her, just to be revealed as a genjutsu as soon as they pulled her out into the sunlight.

"Matsuri-sensei," Usagi swallowed, fighting more tears, "Matsuri-sensei, I'm here. I really am, I swear. Ask me anything, something only the real me would know."

Matsuri looked as Usagi in fear, laced with something like suspicion. She was no longer screaming, but she still certainly wasn't sure.

"Go on," Usagi pressed, her voice cracking, "ask me something about Uncle Gaara, or my dad, something only someone in our family would know."

Matsuri was silent for a long moment, staring at Usagi as though mulling it all over. Usagi waited, holding her breath, hoping Matsuri would believe her.

"What was the lesson?" Matsuri croaked hoarsely.

"What?" Usagi asked, blinking.

"What was the lesson?" Matsuri repeated, "The one that Gaara-sensei taught me, when we first met. The one your dad helped me understand. What was the lesson?"

Usagi looked up at Matsuri. "It was that . . . that you don't have to be afraid of weapons, Matsuri-sensei," she whispered, "that they can be used to protect the people you love, not just to destroy others."

Matsuri's eyes widened. "Usagi-chan," she breathed, "it _is_ you!"

"Of course," Usagi half laughed, half sobbed, "now come on, lets get you out of here."

Matsuri's chains were a real chore. Usagi tried just about everything, until at last another shadow clone and the rasengan were deemed necessary. Once Matsuri was free, Usagi helped her gingerly to her feet, and after a few shaky steps she discovered she could still walk. Then they were off down the dark stone hallway.

"Do you know the way out of here, Matsuri-sensei?" Usagi asked breathlessly as they ran.

Matsuri shook her head. "They blindfolded me when they brought me in."

"How did you get down here anyway?" Usagi asked, "I mean, The Hidden Sand Village is miles from here."

"I was on a mission," Matsuri explained, "after I was finished I went a little off course to see if I could catch Gaara-sama on his way back, but I was ambushed. There were almost twenty of them, and they overpowered me. Then they brought me here."

"How long were you in there?" Usagi asked tentatively, "I mean, you look pretty beat up."

"I'm not sure," Matsuri admitted, "but I feel like its been a while. They made sure I had no sense of time, and they used so many genjutsu on me I could barely tell up from down. "

Usagi frowned, her face twisted in a look of intense concentration. "Can corpses do genjutsu?" she asked finally.

Matsuri furrowed her brow, thinking hard. "I don't know," she concluded, "I suppose we'd have to ask Gaara . . ."

She didn't have time to say "sama." At that precise moment the wall directly in front of them to their left burst open, an enormous black panther with six legs and eight eyes charged into the hallway, blocking their path.

"Matsuri-sensei!" Usagi called as the panther crouched, ready to spring, "Look out!"

-Meanwhile-

A swarm of fireflies wove through the labyrinth of underground corridors, guiding the way for Shino and Sakura. Their feet pounded the dirt floor as they both tried to ignore the stench of blood that saturated the air. Sakura gagged, choking on the smell. This place was worse than Orochimaru's bases. She, of course, had been inside the Nightmare's temples before. The absolute darkness, the penetrating cold, the scent of death clinging to every surface, none of it was new to her. Still, seven years was a long time, and being in the lair of the worst evil imaginable wasn't something you ever really adjusted to.

"How big is this place?" Sakura called to Shino, trying to pull in a lungful of cold air.

"No way to tell," Shino droned in response, "all the temples are different. This one corridor might go on for miles."

"They couldn't have taken Usagi that far that fast," Sakura gasped, "she must be somewhere close, harbingers don't move that quickly."

"I'm sending out my insects to search, but so far there's no sign of her," he replied, "this is just he closest temple, we can't be sure she's even here. The Dark might have passed her on to something else and stayed to guard this temple, to throw us off."

"No!" Sakura cried, "she has to be here! Darks aren't that smart!"

"They aren't smart enough to kidnap without killing either," Shino pointed out, "but this one did. Either they've gotten smarter since we last faced this threat, or someone is directing them."

"How clever of you to have figured that out, Golden Soldier."

-Meanwhile-

"Matsuri-sensei!" Usagi called as the panther crouched, ready to spring, "Look out!"

Matsuri dived out of the way just as the Dark panther landed right where she'd been standing. Matsuri leaped to her feet, coughing in the dust her landing had kicked up, seeming shaken but unhurt. The only problem now was that the beast was now between Matsuri and Usagi, and Matsuri and their best guess at a way out.

"Usagi-chan!" Matsuri yelled, still coughing, "run! Get out of here!"

"No way!" Usagi called back, her face set, "not without you, Matsuri-sensei!"

"Usagi-chan, this isn't the time for . . ."

The Dark panther roared, drowning out Matsuri's words. It turned its head side to side, confused. It did not know which one of them to attack.

"I'm getting you out of here!" Usagi shouted, "no matter what!"

Usagi placed her hands together, forming no particular seal but concentrating hard, trying to remember everything her father had ever said to her about his demon. Her father had once told her about gaining access to the nine-tailed demon fox's chakra by simply retreating within himself, facing the fox and demanding it, but Sasuke had told her she didn't have the fox's conscious spirit. What was she meant to do then, ask the chakra for help?

_Work,_ she thought desperately, _work, damn you! I can't do this by myself, I need help! Please, Matsuri-sensei is in danger! Help me!_

To her amazement, it worked.

Usagi felt a boiling heat bubble up through her veins almost instantly. Red hot energy exploded from a point somewhere in her stomach, engulfing her whole body. She felt like she could move faster than light, like she _was_ light, a being made of nothing else but this pure, red, hot, powerful energy. She felt like she could fly. Chakra shot through her body, spewing out of her mouth in the form of long, sharp teeth, pressing out from her fingers as pointed claws. A veil of red covered her vision, and she tasted blood. She felt overly alive, like she had the life meant for two, ten, a hundred people.

She was only vaguely aware of the screams coming from somewhere behind her.

On some level she registered that they sounded somewhat like her Aunt Sakura, calling out her name.

But she couldn't worry about that now, she was far too _alive_ for such things. Crouching down and letting her instincts guide her, she pushed off from the cold stone, now so much more comfortable for some reason, and launched herself at her enemy. She landed on top of it, settling on its chest, her feet hooked bellow its upper limbs, her hands at its throat, trapping it beneath her despite its superior size. Its muscles bunched as it tried to break free of her hold, but she held it fast.

"Usagi-chan, stop!" called a voice from . . . somewhere. She was barely distracted by it, and only noticed that it was male and . . . was it familiar? She couldn't tell. All she could see or hear or taste or smell or feel was the life draining out of the thing beneath her. It felt marvelous, to feel its life slipping between her fingers. This putrid little thing with mousy brown hair and wide glassy eyes.

"Usagi . . . chan . . . please," whispered Matsuri.

That snapped Usagi out of it. Suddenly, as though a switch had been thrown, she was back in the here and now, fully aware of Shino and Sakura tugging vainly at her shoulders, trying to pry her hands of Matsuri's neck.

Usagi shrieked and fell backwards, releasing Matsuri, who coughed, clutching at her throat. Sakura ran to Matsuri's side, placing a palm already glowing with green healing light to her neck, while Shino cradled a quivering Usagi in his arms.

"What . . . what . . . did I . . . just . . ." Usagi stammered. Her mind and body were both numb with shock, despite the hot ice pounding in her veins and the terrible spinning of the world around her and the deafening silence ringing in her ears.

"Never," Shino rasped, "use the nine-tails in a place like this, Usagi-chan. Never."

**Author's Note:** Beware the Chibis.


	23. New Plan

**Chapter 23: New Plan**

Camp was made as soon as they got far enough away from the temple that the hairs on the backs of all their necks laid flat again. So naturally it was well after dark by the time the fire was built and the still unconscious Usagi was at last tucked beneath a blanket to sleep off the rest of the temple's effects. Thankfully, it didn't take long.

"Matsuri-chan, are you sure you're alright?" Gaara asked for what must have been the third time in as many minutes.

"Gaara-sama, I told you, I'm fine," Matsuri insisted. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself, shivering in the cool night air, her bloodstained kimono swapped for a spare outfit of Temari's, which was a little too big for her.

Matsuri had already explained to the rest of them how she had gotten into the temple. The details of her captivity had been skimmed over, but they could all guess. They all had experience with Harbingers. They all knew the methods of torture that nightmares could produce.

"There must be something I can do for you, Matsuri-chan," Gaara replied. Half the gourd of sand had already spilled out into the surrounding air, hovering around Matsuri like a shield, ready to protect or fetch her whatever she needed. Kankuro had to admit, he had never seen Gaara so worried.

While the sand siblings and Shikamaru, Ino and Choji all clustered around Matsuri, the rest of the Golden Army, save Lee and Sakura, were all hovering somewhere around Usagi. Hinata, still a bit weak, had been place next to her daughter by Neji, and now proceeded to hold the child while she slept, stroking the blond hair as her face cemented itself into a seemingly irreversible worried expression. None of the others strayed far. Kiba pretended to be checking Akamaru for wounds, but he'd examined the same spot on his dog's side at least four times, all the while darting looks at his teammate. Shino sat not to far away, fawning over a cluster of insects, but none of them failed to notice the even larger group he had designated to buzzing over Hinata and Usagi as they lay recovering, and a few over Matsuri as well, occasionally reporting back to their master. Sakura was nestled between two tree roots, now being openly fawned over by Lee. She kept shooing him off, but he continued to buzz around her like one of Shino's bugs, trying his best to take care of her despite her own best efforts to stop him. Neji was not even trying to hide the fact that he had not taken his eyes off Hinata since the temple. Tenten was trying her best to distract him, cuddling and kissing him in every way she knew how, but to no avail. Neji was going to watch over his cousin, no his sister, and niece, for as long as it took for him to be satisfied they were both alright.

So of course when Usagi stirred, Neji leaped to his feet as though the patch of ground he'd been sitting on had caught fire.

"Little rabbit!" Neji cried, instantly at the child's side. Usagi stirred, squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them, squinting against the light.

The first thing she said when she regained consciousness was, "Uncle Neji, don't call me little rabbit."

"Usagi-chan!" Neji laughed, pulling the little girl into his arms and holding her tight. They all knew she was ok.

"Get off!" Usagi squirmed out of Neji's hold, only to be waylaid by her mother, pulling her into an equally tight hug.

"You gave us all a scare, Usagi-chan!" Kiba called, running over to her, Akamaru yipping his approval behind him.

"Indeed." droned Shino.

"Usagi-chan, don't scare us like that!" echoed Tenten, coming to sit beside Neji.

"What happened?" Usagi asked, finally wiggling free of her mother's hold as well.

"You attempted to reach your initial jinchuriki state inside a Harbingers' temple," Shino told her calmly, "Naruto discovered a while back that that isn't a good idea."

"Why not?" Usagi asked tentatively, "what . . . what did I do?"

Hinata stroked her daughter's hair, "Nothing, Usagi-chan. Its nothing, really . . ."

"What happened!" Usagi demanded, pulling sharply away from her mother, jumping to her feet and looking from one concerned face to another. Her eyes burned with a desperate question. "What did I do?"

"You attacked Matsuri, Usagi-chan," Kiba told her softly.

Usagi looked up at him in shock. Shock became horror, horror disbelief, then disbelief gave way to shock again. She sank back down on the ground, and didn't even seem to notice when Hinata began to stroke her hair again.

"Usagi-chan?" Neji asked tentatively, after a moment, "Usagi-chan, it wasn't your fault. Being in one of those temples weakens the seal on the demon inside you. You weren't in control of your actions, you didn't know what you . . ."

"Matsuri-sensei," Usagi whispered, staring off into space numbly, as though Neji had not spoken. Her mind was a whirling blank. She simply could not process what she'd heard. She could not have done that. She couldn't have. She could not have hurt Matsuri. It just wasn't possible.

"Matsuri-sensei . . ."

"Is fine!" Neji finished for her quickly, grasping her shoulder and jerking her around to face him, "She's right over there, little rabbit, see for yourself!"

"Matsuri-sensei?" Usagi asked, turning tentatively in the direction Neji had indicated. Suddenly she leaped to her feet and, despite the fact that they all made grabs for her, shot off in the direction of the fire. She skidded to a stop just behind Matsuri and Gaara, narrowly missing the angry cloud of sand orbiting the Suna kunoichi.

"Matsuri-sensei!" Usagi cried, making Gaara and Matsuri turn to face her, "I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you? I'm so sorry, I can't believe . . . I'm so sorry, I'm so so sorry, I . . ."

"Usagi-chan," Kankuro interrupted her, "if you don't stop apologizing Matsuri will think you've actually done something wrong."

Usagi stared at him a moment. Then, to everyone's great surprise, she started to cry.

"Usagi-chan, what's wrong?" demanded Choji, scooping the child into his arms.

"I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry . . ." she whispered, clinging to his shirt. She felt the eyes of her family upon her as she sobbed uncontrollably. She heard Matsuri say something along the lines of a surprised forgiveness, but she couldn't properly understand the words. She felt as though she were drowning. This power was supposed to be a way to protect her family, at least that was how her father had always described it. She was not supposed to hurt people with it.

"Usagi-chan," whispered a voice against her hair, which it took her a moment to identify as Ino's. Usagi looked up at her, to see the elder blond smiling sweetly at her. "You know, Naruto once attacked Sakura, in one of his tailed transformations."

Usagi's eyes widened. "He . . . he did?"

Ino nodded. "Afterwards he felt terrible, but Sakura forgave him."

"Why?" Usagi asked in a whisper, still clinging to Choji's shirt as she listened, hardly daring to form the words.

Ino smiled, a smile full of warmth and love and understanding. "Because it wasn't his fault, Usagi-chan. It was the nine-tails. Sakura didn't blame him. Matsuri doesn't blame you. Usagi-chan, the demon inside you is capable of terrible things. Its chakra is pure animal instinct. The temple weakened the seal that keeps the chakra locked away inside you. You were overwhelmed, is all. Usagi-chan, _it was not your fault._"

Ino reached out a hand and cupped Usagi's cheek, wiping the tears from her face with one thumb. Usagi was no longer crying.

"There now," Ino simpered, "its ok, see?"

Usagi nodded.

Shikamaru cleared his throat. "Not to sound callous or anything," he began, "but we are in a bit of a bind now. We need to move up our time table, because you can bet they have. A straight shot to the academy, no stopping for anything. We'll need to leave as soon as possible."

"Why?" Usagi asked, looking nervously from Shikamaru to Ino, "what's changed?"

"We've lost the element of surprise," Neji explained. They were all their now, all fifteen plus Matsuri. They clustered around the fire in the early, pre-dawn light that was beginning to shine through the trees, but did nothing to dispel the darkness they all felt settling in.

"When we first set out, as far as we knew we had all the time in the world," Shikamaru explained, "attacks can be random, in fact they usually are. Being ambushed by a few Darks doesn't mean anything. Being kidnapped by one does.

"The Harbingers make sacrifices to the Nightmare, but they aren't just random. They all occur in specific places, nine specific temples all equidistant from the point at which the Nightmare will be brought to being. Last time we were able to calculate exactly where it was being raised based upon the position of the temples the sacrifices were made it."

"But we rescued Matsuri!" Usagi protested, "If the Nightmare needs sacrifices to be born then haven't we stopped it?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "There are temples all over, Usagi-chan. If this temple won't do I'm sure another sacrifice is waiting at another temple equally suitable for their purposes. They may just find another sacrifice for this temple here. The point is, we already know where the Nightmare will be raised. The Darks we've encountered have all been headed in the same direction we're going, probably converging on the school, and this temple is equidistant from the Golden Academy as the one that Naruto and Gaara found the first sacrifice in."

"But we already knew that," Usagi piped up, "so why have we lost the element of surprise?"

"We haven't, not really," Shikamaru told her, "we never had it to begin with. We thought they didn't know which way we were coming from, but we were wrong. They know we're coming. They were just toying with us. Now they know that we know the truth, they're going to hit us with everything they've got to stop us from reaching the academy."

"Then we will just have to get there before they get the chance!" Lee proclaimed, standing up, fist clenched in front of himself in determination.

"A straight shot!" Choji agreed.

"No stopping!" Hinata piped up, determination hardening her eyes as she stood too.

Shikamaru got to his feet. A few hand seals and the fire was dowsed by a jet of cold water, leaving their campsite bathed in shadows.

"Let's move out."


	24. Her Strength

**Chapter 24: Her Strength**

Ino had never been one of the significant ones. She'd never been one of the ninja chosen for an important mission at the last moment. She'd never been anyone's first choice when the Hokage said "take anyone you need." She'd never been one of the heroes, wounded in battle, brought home by the medics, keeping people waiting for hours outside the operating room to see if she was alright. She was always the one waiting. She was the one who got to hear about it all when everyone got back. It wasn't really surprising, despite her strong personal constitution and great confidence, she knew her jutsu weren't all that impressive. She'd been selected for the Golden Army because she was part of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, and a personal friend of the Golden General.

What Ino had was her strength. Her personal strength, her inner strength, the sheer force of mind and will that made her Ino Yamanaka.

So when she saw the mass of gray-clad warriors up in the distance, she knew what she had to do.

"Harbingers!" called Neji, out in front with his byakugan activated, "Lots of them! There's got to be a hundred or more!"

"We don't have time for this!" Shikamaru growled, "It's just a stalling tactic, we can't waste time!"

"Well we can't just go through them!" called Choji, coming up from behind, "We have to . . ."

"I got it."

They all looked at Ino. She dropped down from the trees, atop a small overhang, giving her a vantage point over the sea of gray soldiers.

"Go."

"But Ino . . ." Shikamaru began, the whole procession stopping to watch as the harbingers picked up their weapons.

"I said, go." she repeated.

She and Shikamaru exchanged a long look.

"Come on, we can't waste time." Shikamaru called, breaking eye contact with Ino and starting forward, leaping from branch to branch again. The others didn't question it. They'd all been in this position before.

The jutsu was second nature, as easy as breathing. And all it took, really, was the one thing Ino had in spades. Strength of will.

The only difference being, this time she was using it on a hundred subjects at once.

Using this jutsu on one person was a battle of wills. On a harbinger it was child's play, they had no minds of their own after all. The only real problem was it was never just one, they attacked in numbers. Splitting her focus between five, ten, twenty different possessions or distractions . . . it wasn't easy. It never was. It left her drained, exhausted, and more than once Choji had warned her not to push herself so hard.

This time she would ignore his warnings completely. She would be pushing herself to her limits and beyond.

She knew, this time, she wouldn't survive.

It didn't matter, all that mattered was getting this beast to bite its own head off. One by one the harbingers turned on their comrades, massive infighting breaking out among the lifeless ranks. Several tried to break away, go after Shikamaru and the others. She didn't let them. She cast her mind out through her steady hands, pushing a little piece of her soul into each one, fighting the strange power that controlled them.

They fought.

She pressed.

They struggled.

She held fast.

All that mattered was holding them here, making sure that by the time her chakra was drained to absolute zero and her soul had been siphoned off bit by bit, there would not be a single harbinger to go after her friends.

Then they all turned on her as one.

Ino's knees buckled, giving way beneath her, as the force of her jutsu was directed back at her. A door once opened may be stepped through in either direction. Now the whatever was controlling the harbingers was trying to force its way back into her mind.

"No . . ." she groaned, not really sure who she was speaking to. The pressure was incredible, and increasing every second. She could feel it bearing down on her. There was a sharp pain in her knees as they scraped along the ground, her body being physically repelled.

"Can't . . . no, I . . ." she was gasping for breath. Her teeth were grinding and she felt like her bones must be cracking under the strain. She was fighting just to keep her position, sliding backwards down the hill, and even as she watched, a handful of harbingers began to escape her grasp. Tears welled up in her eyes. She couldn't do it . . . she couldn't . . .

"No . . . I . . . no!"

"Ino-chan!"

Suddenly she stopped moving as a pair of strong hands grasped her shoulders. She felt a sturdy, solid presence behind her, all muscle and strength.

The tears spilled out.

"Choji . . . kun . . ."

She could feel him. With her in every way. He knelt behind her, holding her still, supporting her.

"Ino-chan . . . just focus. I'm here . . . just focus."

"Yes, Choji-kun."

Ino slammed her power into four escaping harbingers. She felt him with her. She forced the gray soldiers to cut each other down. She felt him with her. She forced them in, condensing their ranks, making the platoon smaller and smaller. She felt him with her.

She felt her chakra draining. She felt him with her.

She felt herself slipping away. She felt him with her.

She felt her eyes closing, her heart slowing, her body falling into darkness.

She felt him with her.

**Author's Note:** There you have it my fellow inochoji fans. The best I can do at a chapter for this highly under appreciated pairing. Thank you and goodnight.


	25. I'm With You

**Chapter 25: I'm With You**

About a mile from the Golden Academy and they could all tell that Shikamaru was fighting tears. He'd just left his two teammates, probably to die, facing an army of Harbingers. The most that could be said for him was that at least he was still moving forward.

"Shikamaru," Temari called from just behind him, increasing her pace so that they were traveling side by side, " they'll be fine. They've faced this threat before, just like the rest of us, and they know what they're doing. Don't underestimate them Shikamaru, Choji said they'd catch up to us and they will."

"Of course they will," Shikamaru agreed, with no real feeling behind his words.

Temari gritted her teeth and made a noise of frustration. She jumped in front of Shikamaru, cutting him off and in turn stopping the whole procession. "They _will_ be fine!" she snapped.

"I was agreeing with you!" Shikamaru retorted angrily, glaring at her.

"No you weren't!" she shrieked, "You were off in your own little world, shutting me out as usual!"

"Woman, what are you talking about!" Shikamaru yelled.

"I'm talking about this!" she sobbed, "About every time this happens! You're locked up inside your head thinking you know everything about it, and you won't listen to anything I say! You're not the only one here, you know, I'm here too!"

"I hate to interrupt, but that's not all that's here!" Neji barked.

Temari's whirled around to see the shadows of the trees quickly converging into large forbidding shapes. Taking advantage of the group's sudden halt they grew, twisting and morphing into at least a dozen grotesque monsters blocking the group's path.

"Get going!" Shikamaru called to the others, "I'll hold them off!"

"The hell you will!" Temari spat, whipping out her iron fan with practiced ease.

"Temari," Shikamaru growled as the others stood by, "go on, I'll handle it!"

"No," Temari retorted evenly, staring down the nearest dark, "we will."

Shikamaru gritted his teeth and jerked his head at the others, signaling them to move on. In a flash they were past him, and he and his wife jumped between the retreating army and the advancing darks. Sweat beaded Shikamaru's brow as he readied for the attack. Many more, smaller darks began forming around the larger ones, all but a solid wall of shadow.

"There's no point in you staying," Shikamaru told her softly, crouching slightly, "you know my plan Temari."

"I know," she replied evenly, not budging, "you plan on doing just what Ino did."

"And you?" Shikamaru asked, shooting her a sidelong glance.

"I plan on doing just what Choji did."

Shikamaru's eyes shot sideways again, "What? But thats . . ."

"You're my husband," Temari shot, "I'm with you."

"And what about our son?"

Temari looked back at the darks, a great mass of black writhing before them. "Our son has many parents. And he'll know . . . he'll know I was with you."

"Temari . . ." he breathed.

"Don't get all teary on my now, Shika-chan," she said, a little louder, guard back up, "are we gonna do this or what?"

"Come on then!"

With those words Shikamaru shot a tagged kunai into the conglomerate of darks, which exploded a moment later. The shadow beasts roared and attacked, massing forward toward the two shinobi. Temari swung her fan and a great wind obscured everything for a moment, knocking the smaller darks back to disintegrate against trees.

They managed to destroy eight of them before the last four consolidated into two.

An enormous, unnameable thing scuttled towards Temari, launching itself from a tree trunk at her. She swung her fan and it exploded into a thousand little dark insects raining down on her. She grunted in pain as she was thrown to the ground beside a fallen tree, blood pouring from several wounds.

"Temari!" Shikamaru yelled, leaping downwards toward her. The remaining monster swung one clawed arm, as thick as his waist, at him, knocking him to the ground on the other side of the tree, a great gash in his chest. The victorious creature made to follow the army, until another tagged kunai embedded itself in the thing's back, blowing up the last threat.

"There you go," Temari laughed cynically, coughing up a bit of blood, "we sacrificed ourselves for the team."

"How noble of us," Shikamaru grunted, his chest heaving. Temari gave a soft, half-hearted laugh in reply, and for a moment they lay in silence, panting and bleeding.

"Shikamaru?" Temari asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft.

"Yeah?"

"I can't see you."

"Damn log's in the way."

Another moment slipped by, an odd quiet settling over the stretch of forest. Shikamaru lay on his back, looking up at the leaves obscuring the sky.

"Temari?"

"Yeah?"

"Give me your hand."

Slowly, Temari placed on hand on top of the felled tree, and Shikamaru placed his hand on top of hers. He felt her heartbeat slow. He felt his slow with it. They got slower and slower, until at last they synced into a silent beat.

He felt like he was floating.

Then there was an odd light. He wanted to raise on hand to shield his eyes, but his arm felt too heavy.

"Temari?" he whispered.

"Yeah?"

"What do you see?"

There was a long pause, then . . . "Clouds. I see clouds."


	26. My Life For You

**Chapter 26: My Life for You**

Neji was in the lead now. No one really questioned it, it just seemed as though he were the natural next person to assume the position at the front. Nobody was talking. Even Usagi, riding on Akamaru's back now, was silent. They were all thinking the same thing.

_Six people we've left behind now._

Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru and Temari. Six people they'd lost, and the fight hadn't even started yet. It was a particularly depressing thought. The loss of just one member of their Army, and they already couldn't function well enough to get to the start of this fight with everybody intact.

_Can we do this without Naruto?_

None of them were really sure. No one had been really sure when they'd started. They'd never had to think about it before, Naruto had just always been there. When they were choosing a path for themselves, when they were trying to validate their existence, when they had to choose between following order and following their instincts. He'd just always been there. Always turned up at the last minute, always pulled some amazing solution out of the air, always fixed everything with an answer so clear and justified and utterly perfect that there were never any questions, that no choices ever had to be made or doubted. Now they were faced with the prospect of having to do it on their own, and they were all starting to ask themselves what in the hell were they doing there. They never would have dreamed they could do this, that they could be this great, without Naruto. The thought was beginning to occur to them that they were nine jonin, one tag-along and a little girl.

Tenten was bringing up the end of the procession, her eyes on the front. She was watching Neji in the lead, carefully noting each movement, each slight jerk of a muscle, the depth of each inhalation. She could see the telltale signs learned over a lifetime that Neji was starting to panic. Neji was not a particularly expressive person, probably no one else could see them. Lee was too focused on Sakura, so even if he might have seen, he didn't notice. Tenten did. She could see him starting to loose control of his perfectly controlled breathing. He lingered on each branch a split-second too long, trying to regain the balance it felt like he was losing. She saw as his tongue darted out to moisten his lips, not so unusual a action but on Neji practically unheard of. She began to make her way to the front, still watching carefully.

"Here it comes!" Neji called over his shoulder, stopping Tenten and the rest of the army cold. Nobody need to be told what he was talking about, they all knew they'd come to the last obstacle. The school was less than half a mile away. They were about to meet the last line of defense before the Nightmare itself.

Everybody dropped to the ground at once. The last thin stretch of forest before the school grounds lay before them, the trees widely spread but the dense foliage above blocking out most of the light.

There were Harbingers everywhere.

There was a surprising lack of Darks, probably they had all gone to feed the nightmare by now. Some, however, seemed to have merged with one or more of the silent gray warriors, making great bulbous masses of dark energy with random arms and heads protruding in odd places, or else monstrous beasts that resembled humans on all fours, bloated and leaking shadows at the seams.

"Don't let them push any of you back!" Neji called over his shoulder, not afraid to shout as the Gray Army waited for the Golden Army to attack. There was no provoking them, everybody knew their first and only objective was to hold the line. "Gaara, make sure Usagi gets through. Everybody keep moving forward!"

Neji went first. Swinging his chakra in a great circle he cut a dent in the enemy line, and then everyone else charged. Lee sped between the ranks of gray corpses, taking out as many as he could and cutting a swath through to the other side, which Gaara quickly took advantage of to wrap Usagi and Matsuri in a floating sphere of sand and fly them safely past. Kiba and Akamaru each took one of the bigger hybrids and Sakura struck the ground, burying a dozen Harbingers and one bulbous shadow creature. Hinata was busy weaving chakra threads in front of herself, creating a shielding cocoon that barreled through the enemies before her as she ran, not a single one touching her. Several dead soldiers and two hybrid monsters went down, leaking bugs, as Shino made a dash for the other side, and Crow, the Black Ant and the Salamander all guarded Kankuro's own race across towards the school.

Tenten kept behind Neji.

In truth she wasn't really worried about making it across the line herself, she half expected not to be able to do it anyway, but she kept her eyes on Neji as he weaved across the battle field, darting hither and thither to try and make sure everybody else got across, apparently with no thought for himself. Each time he approached the other side he would abruptly change directions to take on another halfling or another ring of harbingers. He was being reckless and careless and it didn't make sense, he didn't even have his byakugan activated. Why wasn't he breaking out? Most everybody was through, why was he still doubling back? Why wasn't he . . .

Then the truth finally dawned on her. Neji wasn't planning on getting across.

Somewhere around the same quarter of a second that hit her, one of the more well constructed halflings pulled a jagged piece of metal from nowhere and aimed it like a sword at Neji's heart.

"Neji!"

The first thing that registered in Neji's mind since the initial charge was the sound of Tenten's voice calling out his name. The second thing was the blood spilling down the front of her shirt.

"Tenten!" he screamed, watching as she was lifted clean off her feet as the hybrid tried to retrieve it sword.

Neji didn't really remember deciding to decapitate the thing, or how he'd actually done it, but a moment later it dropped to its knees, a useless lump of darkness on the ground, with a woman dangling from a sharp edge. Ignoring the few remained enemies he closed the distance between himself and Tenten in a heartbeat, never taking his eyes off her. She was still suspended maybe six inches in the air, the front end of the weapon protruding from the base of her ribcage. Blood was trickling down both sides of her shirt, and as he watched she coughed up a bit more.

If Neji had been holding anything it would have fallen from his grip. As it was he fell to his knees. "Why?" he croaked. "I didn't even know you were behind me. What were you doing?"

Another bit of blood exited Tenten's mouth, riding on a cross between a cough and a laugh. "You might have known if you'd had your byakugan activated." She smiled a little. "What were you thinking? You should be more careful."

"Me!" Neji half sobbed, choking back another scream, "What about you! What were you doing! Why . . ."

"Neji-kun," she interrupted quietly, "you need to get going. They need you."

"Well I need you!" Neji cried, tears leaking out of his eyes at last. It wasn't fair! He'd only just found her again, she'd only just come back! It wasn't fair that he had to lose her all over again, when he'd only just figured it out. "What the hell did you think you were doing! Why would you do a thing like that for me!"

Tenten closed her eyes, smiling just a little bit. "Baka," she whispered.

"What the hell does that mean!" Neji raged, tears flowing freely down his face, "Why would you . . ."

"Baka," she interrupted again, "_My life_ for you."

Neji stood there, floored, for what felt like hours. He could hear somebody behind him calling his name, but he couldn't seem to place the voice. All he could see was Tenten, smiling at him from behind tired eyes.

He bent his head. "I love you," he whispered.

"I know," Tenten replied, her voice growing ever softer.

"No!" he sobbed, looking up at her again, "I _love_ you! I love you with all of my heart! With everything I have! I love you more than I thought it was possible to love someone! I have since we first formed the Army, maybe even before then! And its terrible because I was always to afraid to say anything! Tenten, I . . ."

"I know."

Neji blinked back fresh tears and focused on her half-closed eyes.

"I know," Tenten whispered, "Neji-kun, I know. I . . . love you too."

"Neji!" called a voice behind him, making him turn,"We need to move now!" Even as Neji heard the words, wishing they weren't true, he realized once again where he was and what he was doing. He had to go. He had to leave her.

Neji faced Tenten again. She nodded. Dashing tears from his eyes he turned and ran at full tilt toward the others, trying to force himself into the present moment of the Army and the Nightmare and things that no longer included the person he'd just left behind.


	27. The End of Days

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your reviews. Don't worry guys I'm almost done, plus I actually know where I'm going now (yay!) and I think I know how this story's going to end. As promised everyone will come back, yes even the Teme. Some people sent me their OCs, and unfortunately I had already started to write this ch when I got the first one and so I couldn't use them as students, but then I got the bright idea to use them as _graduates_ instead! Aren't I brilliant! OC s belong to Canuck101, HatakeRyari, LoveYoshi, AthalaJinx (in that order. Hokori got the most description because he got here first, and, well, we've known each other longest, and I have the most faith in his boss's ability to not hate my living guts if I prove I can't write him at all.) Anyway, I hope you all like the ending (I'm certainly glad I'm done) and everybody cross your fingers that I get more readers when I can label my story "complete."

**Chapter 27: The End of Days**

Storm clouds were gathering already. As the eight remaining Golden Soldiers made their way across the outer grounds of the school, a large grassy stretch of land dotted with small boulders and odd rock formations used mostly for training and sparring, the sky began to darken, first gray and then black clouds coming to block the bright sun. By the time the actual school was in view, the daylight had all but vanished behind an artificial night.

"We have to hurry," called Kiba, riding on Akamaru with Usagi seated in front of him, "the Raising will probably start soon, if they've already made the weather this bad!"

"How do we know when its started?" Usagi asked, shouting to be heard over the now roaring wind. Then they crested a small hill, and Usagi found her question answered. The inner grounds and the academy itself were laid out before them. It was nestled in a small sort of valley between three gently sloping hills, and the whole thing seemed almost the curl in on itself like a spiral. There were four main areas; the front entrance walk, a great rock quarry, an enormous lake dotted with islands, and the school itself. The front walk was a grassy area dotted with cherry trees, a path of white stone leading up to the large gate into the school building. The quarry was a dusty expanse of bare earth, set slightly into the ground and full of boulders and rock formations of different kinds of stone. The lake, speckled with grassy green islands, had a a great white bridge that stretched from the shore all the way to a large island in the center. And then the school. It was a palatial structure, as large as a hidden village itself and just as complex, with towers, turrets and elevated walkways stretching through the air, and a temple that supposedly honored the original Golden Army set on a small hill to one side, apart from the school but also clearly part of it. The whole thing was built of white stone with gold trim, and had the sun been shining brightly Usagi imagined it might have been shining.

As it was their eyes were drawn to the lake.

Great congregations of students were gathered on the shore. As they watched the sky above began to swirl, the clouds either converging or emanating in circles around a single point, just above the center island. Shadows stretched across the water, turning blue to black, and squinting Usagi could just see a lone figure standing beneath the swirling clouds.

"Its already started!" yelled Kiba in alarm.

"We're too late!" Sakura cried, her eyes wide with horror.

"No we're not!" Usagi protested, climbing up to perch on Akamaru's head, "I can see someone on the island! Who is it?"

"Only one way to find out!"

Kiba pulled Usagi back into his chest as Akamaru took off toward the lake. Thunder cracked overhead and the wind roared, blowing at hard as it could at their heads as though to force them back. Akamaru barreled down the hill, barking like mad, Kiba and Usagi on his back and the rest of the Army behind him.

Then someone on the shore caught sight of them.

"Someone's coming!" called a voice over the sound of the storm.

"It's the Golden Army!" came another.

"Don't be stupid, the Golden Army has more people!"

"Look, its them!"

As the great white dog reached the congregation on the shore the students parted to admit them. All of them stared, wide eyed, at the adults before them, eight people wearing headbands embossed with the Golden Star of Hope. Whispers began to dart through the crowd.

"Who are they?"

"Its them!"

"The Golden Army!"

"Its really them!"

"Make room!"

"Here they come!"

"Move it!"

This last comment came from a rugged looking man, thin but packed tightly with muscle, with wolf's ears poking out from beneath his rusty blond hair. He was dressed in a tight blue sleeveless shirt and baggy blue jeans, no shoes, and he wore heavy spiked bracelets on both arms, a wolf's fang dangling about his neck. Hokori, the school's head taijutsu teacher.

"Lee!" he called, pushing through the crowd of students, "Outta me way! Outta me way!"

"Hokori-sensei!" Lee called in surprise, turning to face the newcomer.

"Lee!" he called again, finally coming up beside the army, "what in da hell is dat ting?"

Then Hokori's question was answered for him.

The lake exploded upwards, an enormous, swirling black mass of darkness, as big as the school itself, coming up from the water. Lighting crashed through the sky as it swirled round in the high wind, a great black tornado. An awful roaring could be heard, and the first thing that can into clear focus out of the shadowy mass was a mouth; a great, gaping, fanged maw that stretched and roared. Two burning red eyes blinked open, blazing with fire and hatred as they took in their surroundings and then fell on the crowd. It roared, the shadowy thing twisting and solidifying, taking the shape of a great horned monster raising halfway out of the lake. Its hands clawed at the sky before reaching over the crowd of students. Some screamed, but others shot kunai tagged with paper bombs at it. These exploded with little effect and the demon laughed; a deep, booming laugh like thunder.

"The Nightmare," Usagi breathed.

"Hit it with everything you've got!" yelled Kiba over the din, the rest of the Army readying themselves for the attack

"That means us too!" called a high, female voice. Jumping up on a boulder at the lake's edge a girl of no more than eleven, with short silver hair and large blue eyes, shouted over the crowd of students. "Are we Golden Academy students or not!"

Then the fight really broke out. Jutsu of every style and element shot up from the crowd of students as they all began to regroup. Several with dogs at their heels clustered around Kiba as Shino found a following of students with coats buzzing with insects. A whole corp of puppet masters fell in around Kankuro, several students with byakugan eyes surrounded Hinata, and Lee suddenly found himself in the midst of a collection of students all dropping weights to the ground and pulling weapons from nowhere. A cluster of students, mostly girls pulling on thick gloves, surrounded Sakura.

Each students attacked following a member of the Army, and not a single one acted alone. Every attack included three, four, five people, all attacking in harmony with the same style, following their Golden Army leader, the member they had spent their school days aspiring to be like. If the idolized member of the Army wasn't there, they simply picked the closest group and began to coordinate attacks with fellow students, keeping their eyes on the Golden Soldier they had chosen to follow.

In effect, six new Golden Army's formed on the spot.

"Uncle Neji!"

Neji turned, eyes sweeping over the students that had fallen in behind him and Hinata to find Usagi behind them all, jumping up and down and waving her arms at the school.

"On the biggest tower!" Usagi called, waving, "Look there on the side!"

Neji directed his byakugan to the school's tallest tower, a great, gleaming, windowless structure in the center of the school. There, clinging to the side, was a figure, apparently making their way up. They clambered through the sole window at the top, and disappeared.

Neji leaped over the crowd, landing beside Usagi. "Come on!" he called over the noise, hoisting the little girl onto his back and heading for the tower. Jumping from surface to surface he cut across the school interior and darted up the circular wall, aiming for the room at the top.

"Did you get a look at who it is?" Usagi called over the roar of the wind.

"No!" Neji yelled to make himself heard, "but whoever it is, its the one who's been controlling the Darks and Harbingers!"

_The one who killed Tenten._

Reaching the window Neji grabbed the ledge with one hand and swung the two of them inside. He landed in a crouch, one hand on the floor to steady himself, allowing Usagi to clamber off his back.

Before them stood a cloaked figure with its back to them.

"Who are you!" Neji demanded, straightening, eyes flashing with rage.

The figure turned slightly, then gave a chilling laugh. "And here I thought you'd remember me, Neji-san," he said, turning to face them fully, "after all, we took the chuunin exams together."

"You!" Neji hissed, eyes narrowing.

Kabuto Yakushi laughed again. His eyes, one normal, one the yellow eye of a snake, gazed down on Usagi, and his half scale-covered face twisted in a sickening smile. "Hello, Usagi-chan. Its nice to finally meet you, little playmate."

Usagi growled, glaring back at him. Rage was boiling up inside her as she looked on the person that had caused her family so much pain. The one that had claimed the lives of five of her aunts and uncles. The one who had killed her father. She felt what she had come to know as the feeling of demon chakra welling up in the pit of her stomach. Just as it had before it grew and expanded outward, pressing against the barrier of her skin. Her nails became claws and her teeth became fangs, and she didn't need to see her eyes to know they had gone from blue to red, the pupils slitted like those of a fox.

"Stay away from her," Neji hissed, stepping to the side to partial to block Usagi from Kabuto. A kunai seemed to materialize from nowhere, and he held it out defensively in front of the little girl.

"How touching," Kabuto snickered, "but there's really no need for that. Its not my playmate that I'm here for, you see. Not this time."

"Why are you here, then?" Neji demanded, hate filled eyes never leaving Kabuto's face, "What have you done this for? Don't you realize the severity of what you've done, the power of the creature you've raised!"

"It seems that it is you who doesn't realize the reality of the situation, Neji-san," Kabuto replied easily, smiling almost patronizingly at him. Usagi looked on it horrified fury. She'd used to think that Neji looked eerie when he smiled because of his byakugan, but what a far cry that was from Kabuto's petrifying smile.

Kabuto chuckled slightly, an unnerving, disturbing little laugh that made Usagi shiver. "I have come here for a power that is far beyond even that of the fearsome Nightmare coming slowly into being outside. When I have attained it, I will be able to control the Nightmare, and after it is fully raised and I control its power, only the Master of the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, the most powerful jinchuriki of all, will be able to be my playmate!"

He paused here, gazing intently, insanely, at Usagi. "Its a shame I won't get to play with Naruto-kun again, like we did in our youth, but you, Usagi-chan, I think will prove just as amusing."

"Don't you touch her!" Neji yelled, stepping fully in front of Usagi now, but she sidestepped him to look at Kabuto again.

"What power?" she demanded, her voice a low growl from her fanged mouth. "What power are you talking about?"

Kabuto was looking right at her now, completely ignoring Neji as though he were totally irrelevant. "The Ultimate Power," he replied in a low breath, "the Greatest Power in the world. Naruto-kun found it. The power Orochimaru-sama had been seeking, the Greatest Power of all. I should have known it would be Naruto-kun to find it."

He began drifting to his left, never taking his eyes off Usagi. "He didn't keep it for himself, though. He hid it away, where no one else could get to it. He himself said that he'd hidden it right here, under everyone's noses, in the Golden Academy itself, the most well guarded place in the world. By his own word, he knew that it could defeat the Nightmare. He said it could accomplish anything, that nothing was beyond this power. The Ultimate Power. Hidden right here."

He turned his gaze behind himself, focused on the same object he had been eying when they had entered. The room was large and circular, the spiral stairway from down through the tower ending in a trap door to Neji and Usagi's left. The sole window was just to the right of them, one curved wall not a few feet behind the two, and Kabuto was standing towards the center of the room. Behind Kabuto, across from Neji and Usagi, was a chest. It stood a few feet from the wall, a wooden box with a curved lid, the metal corners and hinges shining gold. There was no lock, it was so well guarded here within the school that wasn't necessary. On the front of the lid was emblazoned the Golden Star of Hope, the symbol of the Golden Army and the Golden Academy.

"It's been here from the beginning," Kabuto breathed, his voice dripping with a sick desire, a rasping hiss that was more like Orochimaru's than his own.

"And now," his eyes flew wide open in triumph, "It is mine!"

"I don't think so!" called a voice from the window. "Chidori!"

A great ball of lightning came hurtling through the window, aimed straight for the half-snake. Kabuto leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding being electrocuted, and landed on the other side of the room, across from where Sasuke now stood.

"Uncle Sasuke!" Usagi cried in delight.

"You came back!" Neji continued, more surprised than anything else.

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow, smiling smugly at the little girl. "You expected me to stay away?"

Kabuto straightened, smirking at Sasuke. "Well, if it isn't another of my old playmates. Sasuke-kun, how nice to see an old comrade in a situation like this."

Now he rounded on Kabuto. "You," he sneered, "you were never my comrade. You're the two bit servant of a dead snake, and now you've taken your mad quest for power too far!"

"You say that like you were never on just the same quest," Kabuto replied, gazing intently at him. "Don't pretend like you aren't seriously considering killing me _just_ so you can take this power for yourself."

"You're right, I am seriously considering killing you," Sasuke replied, taking a step forward, "but its not because of that. I'm going to kill you because," with incredible speed Sasuke flipped through the hand signs required for the chidori.

"You have to be stopped!"

A ball of lightning appeared in Sasuke's hand and he charged at Kabuto. Neji and Usagi looked on as he leaped into the air, yelling in rage as he drew back his electrified fist to slam it into Kabuto's gut in a punch that would surely split him in half.

It never connected.

There was a great flash, making Neji and Usagi shield their eyes, but when they could finally see again they saw, not Kabuto lying dead on the floor, but instead, Sasuke on his knees. Kabuto had him by the wrist, useless sparks of stray electricity flaring between his fingers.

"And just who's gonna stop me, Uchiha?"

Kabuto bent Sasuke's wrist sharply, making it snap. Sasuke grunted in pain, trying to pull free, but to no avail. Kabuto laughed.

"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun? I thought you were thinking about killing me? Changed your mind?"

Kabuto threw Sasuke back across the room by his caught wrist. The raven hit the wall and slid down it, his eyes half lidded in pain and exhaustion. Kabuto stepped forward, his grin turned to complete mania.

"You're nowhere near as strong as Naruto-kun, are you Sasuke-kun? Now that he's gone, you just can't win. You're a mockery of a leader, without Naruto-kun leading the Army nearly half of you died on the journey, and you can barely keep yourselves together let alone organized. You couldn't even manage to hold his position as General for a week! They abandoned you, Sasuke-kun, just like you abandoned them to seek power from Orochimaru-sama. I suppose they never really forgave you for running off to the Hidden Sound Village all those years ago, when they'd all worked so hard and risked their lives to protect you. To them, you're a traitor, and that's all you'll ever be!"

_ He's right,_ Sasuke thought, gritting his teeth against the pain as he tried to stand, _I am a mockery of a leader. I couldn't protect the Army, I couldn't keep them together, hell I couldn't even stop Usagi from being kidnapped! I am weaker than Naruto. Why? What makes him so much better than me! What makes him able to do all the things I could never do? Why can't I do this? Why am I so weak! Its no wonder I don't deserve Sakura, I'm just . . . I'm just a failure!_

"Man, Sasuke, can't you do anything right?"

All movement, all breath, all thought in the room came to an abrupt halt. No one really dared to believe that any of them had heard that. It was a voice they all knew, but . . . it couldn't be. It couldn't be . . .

"Naruto!"

The First Golden Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, stood on the window ledge, looking calmly out on the scene before him and the four astonished faces turned to him.

"Papa?" Usagi whispered. She took a shaky step toward him, hardly daring to believe it. Her heart felt like it was trying to expand out of her chest. All the demon chakra drained away as her vision zeroed in on the man standing framed in the window. He smiled.

"Hi, little rabbit. Miss me?"

"Papa!" she cried, running toward him at last. He dropped to the floor and held out his arms, catching her up in his embrace as she threw her tiny arms around his neck. Usagi buried her head in her father's neck, letting her happy tears soak into his collar. It felt so good to have his strong arms hold her close again.

"No!" Kabuto screamed in rage, glaring horrified at Naruto. "This can't be! You're dead!"

"Obviously that's not the case," Naruto told him, smirking as he stood upright, leaving Usagi standing at his feet.

"NO!" he shrieked, "I've waited too long!" Kabuto made a dive for the chest, seizing the lid and throwing it open.

"Naruto, you idiot, stop him!" Sasuke cried, still collapsed on the floor, but Naruto merely chuckled.

"Don't worry," he said calmly, "its nothing he can use."

"What?" Kabuto murmured, looking down into the chest. Usagi leaned forward to peer inside. It was full of papers in file folders. On the tab of each one a name was written.

"What is this?" Kabuto asked, stunned, gingerly picking up a folder and opening it to examine its contents. "This is supposed to be the Ultimate Power! Its just a bunch of files, on students no less!"

"Not students," Naruto corrected, "graduates. Hadn't you realized what this room is?"

Usagi looked around, taking in the room fully for the first time. The walls were high and lined with rows of empty shelves, and behind the chest there was a ladder on a track that she hadn't even noticed before.

"Its a records room!"

"For graduates of the Golden Academy," Naruto continued, staring steadily at Kabuto. "In this room is kept, will be kept, records of every active graduate of this school. Its an archive of every shiobi who loves this nation with all their heart, enough to be willing to devote their lives to protecting it. People come to this school to become good enough to be part of the next Golden Army, the entity that protected this nation, and continues to protected it, in its times of greatest need. The files in that chest represent the future of the Golden Army, and of this nation. That _is_ the Ultimate Power!"

Kabuto dropped the folder he'd been holding, staring at Naruto in shock and horror. "No!" he hissed, "No! This can't be! It was supposed to be the Ultimate Jutsu!"

Naruto grinned. "You want the Ultimate Jutsu, huh?" he asked, looking patronizingly at Kabuto. "Well I doubt its the best that'll ever exist, but this comes pretty close."

With practiced ease, Naruto extended a hand and threads of blue chakra drew from the air and wove into a circle to form a swirling ball in Naruto's outstretched palm.

Kabuto didn't have time to move. He didn't have time to dodge, block or even think before the perfectly formed ball of merged demon and human chakra slammed into his stomach. He immediately tried healing himself, but it was no good, Naruto caught him by the throat and held the rasengan into his stomach, forcing it to redo the repaired damage and carving a hole deep into his gut.

As Orochimaru's remains withered and died first the scales began to recede from Kabuto's face, until at last two black eyes stared up at Naruto. "You win, playmate," he whispered. Naruto released his neck, letting the rasengan fade and Kabuto fall to the ground to move no more.

"Naruto," Neji breathed, letting himself speak for the first time. "What . . . why . . ."

"Later," Naruto cut him off, turning back to the window, "its not over yet, or did you forget that thing out there?"

Naruto helped Sasuke to his feet so they could all look out the window. While they had been fighting the battle had been raging outside and the students were losing ground. More and more of the monster was rising slowly from the lake, and try as they might the students could not force it back.

"Its true Naruto," Sasuke panted, looking down on the fight, "the Army's no good without you!"

Naruto smirked a little. "Wait. Not everybody's here yet."

Sasuke frowned. "What do you . . ."

Then Sasuke's question was answered for him. From over the hill the Golden Army had just recently descended came soaring a familiar golden brown pixie cut.

"Sora of the Sky?" Sasuke blinked in surprise. "We're we at her graduation ceremony? What the hell is she . . ."

"She's gonna be a teacher in year, I think," Naruot remarked idly, "but she's not here alone."

He was right. Behind Sora came Aretha Negati, along with Sekuri Trenusaki and a number of others, all of them faces Sasuke remembered from the very first graduation ceremony of the Golden Academy. They swooped down on the lake, Sora breaking upwards to attack from the sky. Sekuri leaped in beside Hinata, sending a wall of water shooting from his mouth and blocking one enormous clawed hand from flattening several students, while a great boulder from Aretha slammed against its shoulder, actually knocking it to the side a bit.

"But there's no way they can defeat that thing on their own!" Sasuke protested, staring out into the crowd of students in disbelief. "They might be doing some damage but that won't be enough to take it down. We have to help them!"

"I think I have an idea," Naruto replied easily. He turned to Usagi. "I see you've managed to hang on to your glider through all of this," he observed, gesturing to the staff still clutched in Usagi's hand, "you ready to fly?"

Usagi extended the wings. "Always."

Usagi stood on the window sill, glider in one hand, Naruto standing behind her. She extended her free hand.

"Just feed the fox's chakra into it," he instructed, his hands beginning to move over hers, "I'll do the rest."

Under Naruto's experienced hands the sphere began to take shape. Usagi bit her lip, concentrating on letting out a steady stream of red chakra, staining the blue orb purple.

"Can you maintain it?" Naruto asked seriously.

"I think so," she whispered, glaring determinedly at the creature before her.

"Good," Naruto pulled back his hands, giving Usagi full control over the purple rasengan they had formed. "Go!"

Usagi dove off the tower, her glider angled for a strait shot at her destination. The raging wind tried to throw her off course, but she channeled chakra into her glider, making it cut through the gale as she flew straight for the demon's heart. She held in one hand a jutsu that her grandfather had created, her father had perfected, and now she was about to use to defeat the most fearsome demon in all existence. She held a family legacy, the power of her family, of her blood. She could practically feel their strength flowing through her.

"Power of Three Generations: Ultimate Rasengan!"

It was sort of like flying through a freezing curtain. As the rasengan hit the point on the creature's chest where its heart should have been darkness sprayed out around her, completely enveloping her field of vision. There was no other sensation besides a burning cold all around her, and all sound stopped, the wind, the sound of the creature roaring, the noise of various jutsu being executed on the ground, all of it was drowned out. Though she could neither hear nor feel the wind around her she had the idea that she was still moving forward, that despite the lack of air current to support her glider she was not falling.

Then the blackness lifted and she was soaring through light again, so bright that for a moment she could see nothing. Then she felt herself crash into something soft and two arms went around her, holding her close in a very tight hug. She looked up, blinking in the bright light, to see her mother's smiling, tear stained face.

When Naruto descended into the crowd there was a complete uproar.

"Is that him?"

"Its the Golden General!"

"There's no way!"

"He's really here!"

"Naruto!"

This last one came from Sakura. She stared dumbstruck at her teammate as he strode calmly through the crowd, Neji and Sasuke in tow. He grinned at her, then continued on as the rest of the Army fell in behind him. He kept his eyes on one person, and by the time he reached her the space around her, about five feet to each side, had been cleared so that she stood in the center of an open space.

"Hinata," he whispered, stepping up close to her as she stood perfectly still, looking at him in disbelief. She placed Usagi on the ground, not taking her eyes off Naruto.

"Hinata," he repeated, looking nervously into her eyes, "I'm so sorry I didn't . . ."

"Naruto!" Hinata shrieked suddenly, cutting him off. She threw her arms around him, pulling him down into a tight hug. He looked stunned for a moment, then laughed softly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. He kissed her hair softly.

"Hinata," he said for a third time, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about this. I hope you can forgive me for scaring you."

"Of course," Hinata breathed, crying slightly into his coat, "of course, just . . . you're alive!"

"Course I am," he laughed lightly again, "I'm not that easy to kill."

"Naruto?" asked Neji tentatively from behind him.

Naruto disentangled himself from Hinata, though she refused to release his left arm, to turn and look pointedly at Neji.

Neji looked earnestly, almost desperately at Naruto, hesitated a moment, then, "_Please_ tell me you want your job back!"

That made Naruto laugh out loud. "Yes," he said firmly, "I am getting it back. You are _not_ ready."

Neji gave an audible sigh.

"Come on," he called, gesturing to the other members of the Army, "lets go inside and I'll explain everything."

It took the teachers a while to actually get the students all back where they needed to be and out of the Army's hair. Plenty clamored for autographs, from pretty much every member of the Army, and a fair few begged Naruto to let them show him their techniques. Half an hour later however, the students had all been corralled into dorms and Naruto led his Army down a hall off the main entrance hall, and then through a door into a meeting room, containing several chairs and couches in a circle surrounding a low table.

"Hey guys," said Temari from her position on one of the couches next to Shikamaru, "did you miss us?"

They were all there. Shikamaru and Temari were huddled close together on one of the couches, a chair separating them from another couch where Ino and Choji were sitting, Ino's legs crossed over one of Choji's, all of them smiling broadly.

Neji only saw one person however.

She was sitting with her back to him. He couldn't see her face, but the hairstyle was utterly unmistakable. When he entered she stood and, cautiously, stepped around the chair. Her eyes were trained on the floor as she turned at last to face him.

She looked up, looking him the eye for the first time since he had thought he'd watched her die. "Hi, Neji."

The next thing anyone knew Tenten was being lifted clean of her feet for the second time that day, this time into Neji's tight hug. She gave a very uncharacteristic squeak, her eyes snapping wide open and her face rather pink.

"Neji," she breathed, "I . . ."

"God!" he cut her off, not loosening his grip in the slightest, "Tenten! How?"

"Lady Tsunade," Tenten gasped, and for the first time they all turned to see her standing in a corner, smiling wryly with a bottle of sake from a nearby cart in one hand.

"Neji," Tenten whispered against Neji's hair.

"Yes?" he whispered.

"I can't breath."

"Oh!" he said, releasing her at once, but kept a gentle grip on her upper arms with both hands, as though reluctant to let go. She drew in a lungful of air and smiled shyly up at him.

"I brought Tsunade when I came along behind you," Naruto explained, stroking Hinata's hair. "I figured a few of you would be injured, and once she'd gotten over the shock of my being, you know, alive, she agreed to come with me and heal anyone that was left behind.

"But, you were run _through!_" Neji protested, looking down to examine Tenten. Her shirt was still torn, but beside that there was no trace of the fatal wound she had sustained little more than an hour ago.

"And she's damn lucky the wound was where it was," Tsunade informed him, grinning knowingly. "Any lower and it would have hurt the baby."

Neji stared at her, nonplussed. "Baby?" he repeated.

"Yeah," Tenten murmured, looking at the floor. "I . . . I'm pregnant."

Neji stared at her for a moment. Tenten shut her eyes tightly, waiting for his hands to disappear from her arms. Waiting for him to let her go, but then . . .

"Mmm!" she mumbled in surprise as Neji lifted her chin abruptly and crashed his lips onto hers. She froze a moment, then melted into his embrace, letting him draw her close again.

"Tenten?" he asked, pulling away to look earnestly into her eyes. She looked up at him, confused, but then . . .

"Will you marry me?"

Tenten let out a shaky breath and nodded, somewhere between relieved, excited and just plain happy. The room erupted in cheers.

"Don't schedule it for a month or two, though," Ino called, grinning. She leaned over and kissed the corner of Choji's mouth. "Us first."

This announcement as well was met with wild applause.

"Well!" Sakura piped up, letting out a shaky sigh of her own, "I suppose this is as good a time as any to announce, what I'm sure you all already know. Yes, I am pregnant as well."

"And yes, Lee is the father."

To everyone's surprise, this announcement came from Sasuke. Sakura and Lee both stared at him, hardly daring to believe it. He looked Sakura in the eye for a long moment. "Don't think this means I'm giving up," he warned, "because I'm not. But," here he turned to look away, feigning a look of boredom, "Lee won this round."

Sakura and Lee both laughed in relief, pressing foreheads together and gazing into each others eyes.

"Make no mistake though," Sasuke interjected sharply, "then next child you bear will be an Uchiha."

Sakura smiled knowingly. "Whatever you say Sasuke-kun. Whatever you say."

"And where the hell have _you_ been?" Sasuke demanded, glaring at Naruto, as though just to take the subject off himself.

Naruto shrugged. "Watching," he replied simply, "I had to know if you guys would do okay without me. You're getting there, all of you, but you still need work."

"So, you staged this whole thing as, what, a test?" demanded Ino, looking at Naruto incredulously.

"Well, no," Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly "not the whole thing. When I realized that someone was trying again to raise the Nightmare it occurred to me that, well, I won't be around forever. I've been watching the whole time, and I would have stepped in the moment you needed my help, but I wanted to see if you would all be okay without me. You," he looked pointedly at Neji, "are the next person in the Army I'd trust the most with my village, after Sasuke. I have a few people," here he winked at Usagi, "in mind for my official successor, but if anything were to happen right now I would expect you to take over. I hope it doesn't offend you, that you weren't my first choice, but . . ."

"No!" said Neji firmly, "I'm not offended. I very much hope I never have to take over for you. Ever again."

Naruto laughed, then turned to his wife. "Hinata," he whispered apologetically, "I hope you can forgive me for not telling you. I wanted to, really I did, but . . ."

Hinata put a finger to his lips, cutting him off, then reached up and kissed him gently.

Usagi beamed up at her parents for a moment, then turned to face Neji, who still had his arms wrapped around Tenten. She looked at the floor, then determinedly back up at him. "Okay, so, maybe you're not so bad," she conceded, "or as much of a social climber as I thought you were. You're . . . you're maybe okay. Maybe."

Neji smiled broadly. "I'm glad to hear it, little rabbit."

Usagi's face immediately hardened. "Don't think this means you're allowed to call me that!" she yelled, "and you had better make sure you take good care of Auntie Tenten, or I'll . . ."

"I will, Usagi," Neji told her firmly.

"Well now, if there's nothing else we need to get out in the open," Naruto piped up, looking pointedly around the room and getting the affirmitive from everybody, "what do you guys say we all go home?"

-Afterward-

Ino and Choji got married two weeks after returning to the Hidden Leaf Village. Three years later they had a daughter. She had long blond hair. Her parents named her Haruhi, but most of her friends know her as Honey, because of her obsessive love of sweets and her beautiful singing voice. She's a little on the chunky side, but her Uncle Shikamaru always tells her that she looks beautifully healthy, so she really doesn't care.

Due to pregnancy complications caused by her injury, Tenten gave birth three months too early. The child, a little girl, was thankfully completely developed, but very much undersized. Her parents named her Chibi-chibi, and though no doctor expected her to survive, she did in fact grow up, and became a splendid kunoichi with help from (you guessed it) Lee-sensei, as well as Sakura-sensei who taught her to use Tsunade's super strength technique at her and Lee's dojo. A year after her birth she was joined by two baby brothers, twins Hiashi and Hizashi. They only ever asked their father which one was older once, and he'd simply smiled and told them he couldn't express how much it didn't matter. Most people just know them as "the twins," since their father is the only person who can really, consistently tell them apart.

Eight months after the reforming of the Golden Army Sakura and Lee had a daughter. They named her Tsuki, and when she grew up she and Chibi-chibi were on the same squad and trained with the same techniques at the same dojo until they were practically sisters. Tsuki never had any real sisters or brothers or, thankfully, any half siblings. Sasuke, keeping true to his word, never gave up on Sakura, but neither did he get anywhere.

Two years after the birth of Tsuki, Shikamaru and Temari had a daughter as well. They named her Midori, and she took after her mother, using two miniature version of Temari's iron fan, one in each hand. The only thing her and her older brother Shikashi really ever bonded over was shogi, and it should be noted that Shikashi hates being an older brother because it means he is responsible for his sister. He finds Midori unendingly troublesome.

Gaara and Matsuri got married the same year Midori was born. They never had any children, but they both lived a long and happy life together, and of course were always more than happy to look after their niece and nephew.

Like all the other children of the Golden Army, Usagi and Mizu did eventually go the Golden Academy. Mizu became a master of Gentle Fist, and eventually became the next head of the Hyuuga clan, since none of Neji's children had any interest in the position. Usagi was a Golden General in the next official Golden Army, and at the age of 25 became the Second Golden Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

And yes, of course, they all lived Happily Ever After.

**Author's Note:** Oh my goddess! Its finally finished! This ridiculously long and complex story that I have created has finally come to an end! A bit of a rushed end, but an end none the less. My goddess this ch is fucking _long_ though! I might have divided it up into like, five more ch, but it just felt like the home stretch. Someone asked me for longer chs, so, here's my long ch! Yeah yeah, no post-time-skip attacks used, and I made up a dumb version of rasengan, it just keeps things simpler. I hadn't even started watching shippuden when I started writing this story, so you could say its based mostly if not entirely off part one. Haha, Sasuke's a weakling, I love his little inner thoughts during the battle with Kabuto. No, you can do nothing! You fail at life! Bwahahaha! Ok, evil little anti-sauce-gay rant over. I did kinda base his fight with Kabuto off the first time he faced Itachi during part one. You know, the most humiliating defeat _ever. _Ok, _now_ I'm done. Ending was honey drenched pink rainbow fluff, was it not? I must always have a happy ending. This is my nature. Anyway, that was my totally nonsensical Naruto fanfic masterpiece, I hope you all enjoyed it, thank you and Good Night.


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